SIXTEEN teams have confirmed their participation in the upcoming 2nd edition of the Under-12 African Junior Tennis Competition slated for September 1-6 in Casablanca, Morocco. The teams booked tickets to the continental showpiece during zonal qualifiers staged in March this year. Rwanda qualified after overpowering Burundi, Kenya and Uganda to win the 2018 edition of the annual East Africa’s U12 tennis championships staged at Kigali Sports Centre in Kiyovu. This will be the first time that Rwanda competes in African tennis championship in the U12 category. The country has previously participated in the U14, U16 and U18 categories. A team of six, three boys and three girls will represent Rwanda and the East African region in the week-long competitions. The three boys include Junior Mfashingabo, Emmanuel Manishimwe, and Fabrice Niyonkuru, while the female trio is comprised of Carine Ishimwe, Rona Tuyishimire, and Anabella Shema. The young players have been training at Amahoro tennis courts since last month, under the watchful eye of Eric Bimenyimana (for the boys) and Megane Ingabire for the girls. Teams: Boys: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria. Girls: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Madagascar, South African, Rwanda Benin and Togo. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
