Tennis: Cameroon, Angola name squads for Billie Jean King cup
Monday, May 29, 2023
Rwandan Tennis players who will compete at Billie Jean King Cup tennis tournament in Kigali, during a training session. Courtesy

Cameroon and Angola on Monday have announced their women for the forthcoming Billie Jean King Cup tennis tournament due in Kigali from June 5-10.

READ ALSO: Tennis: Rwandan players in preps for 2023 Billie Jean King Cup

The pair is among nine countries that will be represented at the 2023 edition of the tournament. Other countries that confirmed their participation include Congo, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania and Rwanda who won the hosting rights for the tournament’s inaugural edition.

Cameroonian coach Joseph Edzoa has announced a list of five players that he will take to Kigali including Linda Claire Eloundou Nga selected, Venus Mirande Ngone Hangal, Manuella Peguy Eloundou Nga, Patricia Wamba and Marion Karine Job while the Angolan coach Joao Almeida named a four-woman squad made up by Mariana Costa, Mariam Tukuca, Biurca Bento and Martins Gabriela.

Angola and Cameroon become the latest countries to announce their squads for the Billie Jean King Cup which is coming to the African continent for the first time.

They follow Rwanda which announced a five-woman squad for the tournament. The Rwanda squad comprises Olive Tuyisenge, Gisele Umumararungu, Sonia Tuyishime, Chantal Mutuyimana and Grace Gisubizo Ndahunga.

The players have for the past week been in intensive training at Kigali Ecology Club, May 8, as the girls look to impress on home soil and make sure the cup stays in Kigali.

The Billie Jean King Cup is one of six major international tennis tournaments that Rwanda will host in 2023.

The competition was named after Billie Jean King, an American former world No. 1 professional tennis player who won 39 Grand Slam titles including 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles.