THE Namibia Tennis Association (NTA) has selected a junior team to represent the country at the ITF/CAT Southern African Junior Championships to be held in Gaborone, Botswana, from 8 to 13 January.
The team will compete in the under-14 and under-16 boys and girls categories, facing top junior players from across southern Africa. The championships form part of the regional pathway to the African Junior Championships later this year.
NTA junior tennis coordinator Jandre Bezuidenhout says the tournament is an important opportunity for young players to gain experience and ranking points at an international level.
“This is a very good opportunity for our youngsters,” Bezuidenhout says. “We are also preparing them for future bigger tournaments, including world junior events and long-term prospects such as the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.”
Bezuidenhout praises the support received from government bodies during the team’s preparations, describing it as a positive step for grassroots tennis development.
“I want to thank the Namibia Sports Commission and the sport ministry for their tremendous support during this short preparation period,” he says. “They really put their money where their mouth is. A big thank you to Freddie Mwiya and his team, as well as director Jo-Ann Manuel and acting director Irvine Ndjavera.”
He adds that this year’s squad includes a higher number of development players, showing progress at grassroots level.
“It is the first time we have so many development players in the team, which shows that coaches on the ground are doing their job with the right support,” Bezuidenhout says. “There is still talent in the informal settlements, and we encourage the private sector to support tours like this so that tennis can grow in Namibia.”
Sport commission chairperson Freddie Mwiya confirms the commission’s full backing of the team.
“We are very happy with the composition of team Namibia,” Mwiya says. “We sanctioned the team and are in full support of them. Tennis is a tested federation, and we are confident this team will represent Namibia with pride.”
The coach of the under-16 girls team, Larushka Kruger, says the team is excited and motivated ahead of the tough competition.
“This is a very strong tournament,” Kruger says. “We are not expecting to win, but we want to put up a fight. We want to show that Namibian tennis is coming back and that we can compete.”
She adds that the players have trained together for several days and are technically ready for the challenge.
The NTA is also bidding to host the African Junior Championships later this year, with the top teams from the Southern African Championships qualifying for the continental event.
The Namibian teams selected for the championships are:
Under-14 boys:
Shafiishuna Shimali, Breyton Bezuidenhout, Pameni Paulus, coach Armore Theron
Under-16 boys:
Johan Theron, Jaden van der Westhuizen, Tadiwa Mombeyarara, coach Charlton Diergaardt
Under-14 girls:
Milan de Lange, Azalia Nauises, Albertina Johannes, coach Yenialem Minichel
Under-16 girls:
Natalia-Tia Ouses, Elrica Nakusera, Secilia Nghitewapo, coach Larushka Kruger
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