HARARE – A host of top junior tennis players are set to descend on the country’s second largest city for the Tennis Federation (ITF) South Central Circuit Zimbabwe Leg 6 Tournament at the Bulawayo Country Club from 25 November to 10 December 2022.
Sixteen Zimbabwe junior tennis players will take part in the tournament which is part of the ITF World Tennis Juniors Tour, a development tour that provides players aged 18 and under the opportunity to travel the world and develop their talent.
The ITF World Tennis Juniors Tour provides a launch pad for the best players to go on and achieve success in the professional game. It is a strong pathway for the development of junior tennis players.
Tennis Zimbabwe (TZ) General Manager Kupakwashe Mukurumbira said the hosting of this event forms part of TZ’s deliberate strategy to expose developmental tennis players to competition at the highest level.
The tournament also serves as a way for effective ranking of players based on international performance.
“Players that have so far registered for this particular tournament will be are drawn from the following countries Australia, Austria, Botswana, Burundi, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, United States of America and hosts Zimbabwe,” Mukurumbira said.
The main draw will comprise sixty-four players, thirty-two males and thirty-two females.
Among Zimbabwe’s top seeds in the junior singles main draw are Thompson Thomu, ranked 1310 on ITF Junior Ranking and Ronan Tashinga Mtisi ranked 1539.
The pair are seeded seventh and ninth respectively with South Africa’s Joseph Townes coming in as the top seed ranked 758 on the ITF Junior Ranking.
At least 250 foreign visitors will be expected to attend the tournament. This includes the tennis players entourage comprising parents, coaches and medical experts.
“The hosting of this event provides a unique opportunity for TZ to market the country as a sport tourism destination of choice whilst developing the capacity of local administrators to host international tennis events,” TZ General Manager added during a pre-tournament media briefing.
“This event and others to follow offer a good opportunity for sports tourism.Therefore as Tennis Zimbabwe we are calling for all actors to come together and partner with us in marketing our country through sport,” Mukurumbira continued.
“An estimated revenue of US$120 000 will be generated through this event. The hosting of international tennis events is now a core part of Tennis Zimbabwe’s new strategic thrust to use tennis as a tool to contribute to socio-economic development under the framework of the National Development Strategy 1.”
