Gaborone — One of Botswana's promising young tennis stars, Tinashe Phatshwane, has secured a one-year scholarship at the African Regional Training Centre in Sousse, Tunisia, courtesy of the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT).

The 14-year-old's move to North Africa comes just weeks after another young Botswana ace, Malak Macheng, enrolled at the same facility.

While in Tunisia, Phatshwane will pursue his studies online and compete in both local and international tournaments.

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Botswana Tennis Association vice president Nonofo Othusitse said in an interview that Tinashe was selected as one of the beneficiaries for the 2026 calendar year by CAT.

Othusitse described the scholarship as a critical opportunity for the youngster to train at a well-resourced international centre where he will receive top-tier coaching and regular competition.

He added that the Francistown-based athlete, who trains at Banana Tennis Club, currently holds an impressive number six ranking in Africa in the Confederation of African Tennis Under-14 boys' category.

Othusitse said Tinashe would be joining Malak at the centre, noting that their familiarity with each other would help them settle in quickly.

Meanwhile, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the African Regional Training Centre is a regional development initiative supported by the federation.

The training centre offers state-of-the-art facilities and provides talented players aged 13-18 with full-time training, schooling and competitive development.

Based at the El Mouradi Palace Hotel in Sousse, the centre serves as an intensive training hub with the long-term objective of helping more players from the region and across Africa progress to the sport's highest levels.