Professional tennis player Etienne Niyigena will battle it out with Olivier Havugimana in the Mota Engil tourney at Cercle Sportif Club on Sunday. Niyigena who is the defending champion defeated Hamisi Gatete in two sets (6-1, 6-3) while Havugimana enjoyed a good run in the other semi-final after seeing off out Yannick Muvunyi 2-0, (7-2,6-2). The four-day tournament which started on Wednesday attracted over 32 professionals as well as upcoming youth players who are in the U-16 category. Yannick Sekamana, founder of Rising Through Sports Foundation, one of the organizers of the competition said the winner will walk away with half a million francs, while the runner up will pocket Rwf 250,000, then each semi-finalist will be rewarded with Rwf100,000. The best four in each of the youth male and female categories will each receive scholarships for a year. The objective of this tournament is to enrich tennis players at the same time promote talent through our social corporate responsibility, he added. Sekamana who is also a former Judo Olympic who represented Rwanda during the London 2012 Summer Games feels that there is a lot of sports talent in Rwanda which is not exploited enough because of challenges which include lack of resources. The potential is there, but such talent needs equipment, plus resources for training and preparations, for this reason, we believe rewarding them with such prizes will to help them develop their skills, he noted. Having played tennis for 15-years, the Olympian has plans to create a tennis academy in the future and has promised that more corporate companies will come on board to support the tournament. Gorilla Games is a product of Cheza Rwanda Games Ltd, a locally registered and authorized betting and gaming company, which is keen on helping disadvantaged youth who are talented in sports. We sponsor sports to give back to communities and also provide scholarships to youthful athletes in the hope that they achieve their future dreams, Brian Nkuruh the operations manager explained. The online betting company wants to enrich betting enthusiasts’ experiences in Rwanda with unique services promoting responsible betting aligning with the Government of Rwanda regulations. Nkuruh added that the Gorilla Games is also a responsible gaming platform providing quality entertainment to passionate players in a modern interactive environment. Hamisi Gatete was beaten by defending champion Etienne Niyigena in two sets. / Sam Ngendahimana Havugimana enjoyed a good run in the other semi-final after seeing off Yannick Muvunyi. / Sam Ngendahimana Havugimana will have to be in good form if he is to see off Niyigena in the final. / Sam Ngendahimana Niyigena will take on Olivier Havugimana in the Monta Engil tennis Open final on Sunday. / Sam Ngendahimana The four-day tournament is being sponsored by Monta Engil and will conclude on Sunday. / Sam Ngendahimana Yannick Muvunyi was defeated in the semifinals by Olivier Havugimana. / Sam Ngendahimana editor@newtimesrwanda.com
