Nurture tennis potential
On the backdrop of tennis World No.1 Novak Djokovic’s Covid-19 vaccination controversy, a Kenyan will be in focus, too, as the Australian Open begins today.
However, the Africa Under-18 girls’ champion Angela Okutoyi will be taking part in the January 22-29 Australian Junior Open at Melbourne Park. She will be the second Kenyan woman to play in a tennis Grand Slam tournament, after Susan Wakhungu, and the fifth Kenyan on the big stage after Paul Wekesa, Baldev Agarwal and Christian Vitulli.
Wekesa and Agarwal took part in the senior Grand Slam, while Wakhungu and Vitulli played in junior tournaments. Agarwal featured at Wimbledon in the 1980s and Wekesa at the US Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon and French Open in 1989-1995, then ranked 66th in the world in 1992. Wakhungu, who won gold and silver medals at the 1978 African Games, was the first black African woman to play at the Junior Wimbledon tennis championships, in 1978 in England.
After Wekesa, it took a decade for another Kenyan, Vitulli, to reach a Grand Slam but at junior level, where he played at US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2005-2006.
That it has taken 16 years for another Kenyan, Okutoyi, to make it to a Grand Slam is inspiration enough. It’s clear that Kenyans can make it to the big stage with the right focus and support from the government, corporates and Tennis Kenya.
But it’s saddening that Okutoyi is in Australia without a coach, having failed to get sponsorship or funding from the Sports Fund. Tennis is an expensive sport and, to get to a Grand Slam, one has to play in tournaments to earn points. Tennis Kenya must enhance their grassroots programmes and partnerships to produce Grand Slam products. Most tennis courts are in private members clubs and private institutions.
When International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty visited Kenya in 2018, he oversaw the ground breaking ceremony for the Tennis Kenya Centre at Kasarani. However, the project has stalled with the government delaying funding. The undertaking can take tennis to the next level.
