Eric Odanga
24 November 2007
Nairobi — The national junior tennis team leaves for Burundi on Saturday at 1pm to take part in the first leg of the International Tennis Federation East Africa circuit which starts in Bujumbura on Sunday.
On Friday, the team was presented with 10 air tickets by HRG Kenya for the round trip, which will take the players to Burundi and Uganda.
Elly Madegwa, the team manager and coach, returned from Rwanda on Friday is confident that the junior players, all under 18 years, will be up to the task. In his absence, Mary Owino has been coaching the players every day at Parklands Sports Club.
To harden the players, Owino opted for a tough approach against senior players, among them Francis Rogoi and Alan Cooper.
"We have been playing a lot of tie breaks and it is looking good. The players have benefited from the senior players' experience and advice," he said.
Intermittent rains in Nairobi for the past two weeks have not affected the training much.
Six of the eight players - Gilbert Kibet, Dennis Ochieng, Ian Rahedi, Farah Fernandez, Joie Keter and Yash Rawal - were part of the Kenya team to the ITF junior championships in Cairo in July, and also played in last year's ITF East Africa Circuit.
Owino wants to ensure that the players get ITF points during the circuit. In past tournaments, Kenyan players have been knocked out of the second round.
"I know most of the players from Europe who are quite experienced," said Owino.
The coach said he was wary of the Bujumbura surface. "But we are also getting tougher," she said. Kibet is the clay specialist. Together with Rawal, they are mentally tough. Ochieng is also climbing up the ranks. In the girls' category, Nicole Zachariah and Joie Keter are expected to set the pace. Madegwa believes the toughest challenge will come from Burundi, who have two girls at the ITF centre in South Africa.
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