adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S players to compete at this year’s ITF/CAT Southern African Individual and Team Junior Championships starting on January 7 in Namibia are set to intensify their preparations this week when they meet at Harare Sports Club for the final touches.
The tennis championships, mainly for 14-and-Under and 16-and-Under players, will run until January 15 and Zimbabwe are fielding 11 players.
The team is scheduled to leave for Windhoek on January 6 led by coaches Miracle Matanga and Fadzai Mawisire.
Matanga said they will have the opportunity to assess the players and try possible partnerships for the doubles ahead of their departure on Sunday.
“Actually I am expecting all the players in camp on the 2nd to the 5th of January. I had set the dates between January 2 and 5 so that we have four days or so of practise. So I am just waiting for feedback because the office is supposed to communicate with the players. I think I will get it tomorrow (today).
“Basically this is a chance I feel as a coach and the players we get to bond. It’s also when I actually help them realise their strength and all that and also see (possible) partnerships since we will have doubles,” said Matanga.
The event is serving as a qualifier for the African Junior Championships finals to take place later in the year.
“Actually personally looking at the past events that I have travelled with the team, I think our players have potential.
“But we actually need a system to be put in place like the camp, it’s something that we should have had proper information by now. This should have been known even by the players before the holidays,” said Matanga.
He also said the travelling arrangements need to be looked at considering the players will not have time to acclimatise or rest before the tournament start.
The singles will run over four days using the feed-in system, allowing the competition to progress as normal but ensuring that every player, win or lose, plays a match everyday while the doubles events will run on a knock-out basis.
TZ manager, Cliff Nhokwara, said they are hoping most of the players to sail through to the AJC finals.
The likes of Michael Happy, Taona Mhwandagara, Benedict Badza, Rufaro Magarira, Claire Machisa and Nicole Matukutire have been to the regional event before and know what they are up against.
Although the main event is mainly for the 14-and-Under and 16-and-Under age-groups, it will also feature the Under-12s in preparation of the following year when they graduate into the 14-and-Under age-group.
“The main event is for the Under-14 and Under-16 but the Under-12s will be part of the event so that they get into the system, what is expected and so on,” said Matanga.
Zimbabwe Team
Nicole Matukutire, Tanya Midzi, Tadiwa Mauchi, Rufaro Magarira, Claire Machisa, Ethan Sibanda, Michael Happy, Taona Mhwandagara, Marko Milosavljevic, Thompson Thomu, Benedict Badza.
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