Young tennis player seeks scholarship

AT just 13, Zimbabwe’s top young tennis sensation Emmly Lebogang George is no ordinary talent because her performance on the court has been outstanding.

The young Bulawayo-based budding talent has been a marvel to watch on the court and that has not gone unnoticed, not just in Zimbabwe but the continent at large where she has been flying the country’s flag high.

She has now been afforded the opportunity to have her skills and talent nurtured at the best facility on the African continent. Testament to her unparalleled tennis talent, the Coco Gauff inspired young George has been called up among the continent’s best 16 junior players to participate at the 2024 Africa Regional Training Centre in Sousse, Tunisia.

Only eight boys and eight girls will take part in the development programme organised by Tunisian Tennis Federation (FTT) and the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT).

The programme is set to enhance the training, competitive and educational environment for top performing African athletes who are in the system and are aged between 13 and 18.

Everything is in place for the youngster and she is raring to go but she needs US$4 000 for the centre fees and US$6 000 for her online school fees.
She is supposed to leave for Tunisia at the end of this month.

Time is no longer on her side hence he appeal for financial support to enable her to fulfil her dreams of being a professional tennis player and fly Zimbabwe’s flag high.

Her road to achieving that dream starts now at the training centre and she cannot do it without the required US$10 000.

“We now need funds for her levies and time is not on our side,” said her father who also coaches her, Mkhululi George.

The camp that she has been selected for is a life-changing event that will help nurture her into being better than she already is at the moment. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that cannot be missed. Her father understands just how crucial this will be for his daughter’s growth and development.

“This camp houses the best in Africa, thus the training environment will be highly competitive and create a culture of hard work.

“I believe that the training centre will be the best experience and the rebound of European tournaments and those around North Africa will balance the much needed exposure. The centre will be part of the tools to aid in Emmly focused developmental pathways as she aims to achieve her goals that may eventually lead to elite performance levels,” said George.

Last year Emmly represented Zimbabwe on five different occasions and also played at the Africa Master. At the age of 12, she had amassed a massive 146 medals of which 76 were gold. She has won gold for Zimbabwe at the Africa Junior Championships (AJC).

“Some of her achievements in the past year include winning all national tournaments in the country which she participated in. In February last year, she was named the Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) Sportsperson of the Year.

The Tunisia programme, which was launched in January 2023 is aimed at bringing together the top African players, giving them the opportunity of training together and creating an environment of excellence both on and off the field, providing access to sport science activities that include a strong focus on fitness development and to develop more Top 50 ITF ranked players, African players that can access the NCAA Division One pathway, and

Top 100 ATP/WTA players among other things.

Each player will have access to top level coaching utilising a strong individualised approach. The training environment includes a low coach to player ratio that varies from 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 to 1:4.

Players will have the chance to interact with other highly motivated and committed peers daily, fostering a great learning and training environment.

Each practice will have a strong tactical orientation. The drills utilised by the staff help to ensure the agreed-upon competencies required to meet the end objectives of the programme.

“These are developed and individualised to meet the specific needs for each player.

In addition, the Training Centre’s staff observes the players in competition on a regular basis to ensure that practice objectives are being met in a competitive environment and to get a full understanding of the player’s game.

The programme also provides participants with a strong annual competitive schedule.

Those willing to assist can contact her father Mkhululi George on: 0714359963. – @brandon_malvin