Harare — SIX top local coaches are set to attend a high-level international tennis-coaching course in South Africa later this month.

The course is aimed at keeping them abreast with the latest developments in the sport.

Zimbabwe Tennis Coaches Association secretary, Julius Mashonganyika, yesterday said the course is held once every two years for tennis coaches in several regions of the world.

"The course will be for coaches drawn from Southern Africa and will run from September 23 to 28 in Pretoria.

"It is held once every two years to introduce the latest techniques, methods or rules to the coaches.

"These developments and trends might have come about during the course of the years and the International Tennis Federation now want to impart these to the coaches.

"I am sure Carl Davis, who is the ITF development officer for Southern Africa, will be there to make a presentation.

"There could also be several other resource persons from the ITF and the Confederation of African Tennis at the course," said Mashonganyika.

Seasoned tennis coach Lazarus Manjoro, former Zimbabwe Davis Cup team non-playing captain Claudio Murape, Linsent Chitiyo, Shepherd Masiiwa, Petros Ndlovu and John Tawakali are set to leave for the top regional course next week.

Mashonganyika hopes that the six will be able to impart their newly acquired knowledge and skills to their colleagues who will have stayed behind.

South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia are also expected to have representatives at the course.

ZTCA president, Richmore Murape, said he would have wanted to see many coaches attending the regional workshop had the funding been permitting.

"In the past, we used to get sponsorship, sometimes through Tennis Zimbabwe, to travel for such courses but it's no longer the case this time.

"So these coaches who are travelling to South Africa have actually financed themselves for the trip.

"So we have made them register their participation through TZ and have been made to pay a deposit fee of 200 Rand.

"This deposit fee will induce commitment from the coaches so that they will not pull out when they will have registered.

"If they go, they will still get their 200 Rand," said Murape.

However, Murape was still worried that not all the coaches might be able to attend due to complications in getting visas for South Africa.

"I am not sure what the position is right now but I am made to understand that some of them are having trouble in getting visas from the South African Embassy in Harare.

"They have letters from the Sports Commission, ITF, TZ and invitation from the course organisers.

"But I am sure the coaches will be able to get the visas," said Murape.

There are more than 300 coaches registered with the ZTCA with some 50 or so having shifted bases from Zimbabwe to take up coaching in South Africa, the United States, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Australia and England among other places.