Chronicle Editor
Descent Dube, Sports Reporter
GIRLS College (GC) Tennis Centre started training for the 2019 season yesterday by welcoming back head coach Thesly Mufunda from Pretoria, South Africa, where he had accompanied Kudzai Chapepa (10) to the Belgrave Junior Tournament.
The GC Tennis Centre is based at Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) and 16 of its players attended yesterday’s training session, with coach Mufunda saying they’re pumped up following Chapepa’s success in Pretoria.
Chapepa claimed a silver medal after losing the final to South African Marize Van 3-6, 6-4, 2-6.
“The norm has been that, our players are scared of South African players since our neighbouring country is a powerhouse in tennis. Chapepa has so far been our best player in terms of results in an international competition and that has changed the mindset among the players,” said Mufunda.
“As a coach I learnt a lot in South Africa and also realised the importance of involving parents when managing their children because the kids feel motivated and believe in themselves when their parents or guardians are watching them.
“There are a number of tournaments on the cards that we’re preparing for this year and with my technical team, we want to ensure that our players reach their full potential. We want to ensure the GC Tennis Centre becomes a recognised brand and that can only be achieved if we produce more players that go on to play in international competitions,” he said.
One of the tournaments the club is looking forward to participating in will be held in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in two months’ time.
“This time around we’ll raise the bar in terms of training and ensure that we organise more international tournaments for our players to get international exposure at a young age.”
— @DecoDecent2
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