We’ll conquer Kenya, say Dar es Salaam tennis team

Dar es Salaam. A four-member squad of the national wheelchair tennis team left for Nairobi yesterday for the 2020 BNP Paribas, which gets underway today.

The tournament, which is the biggest event on Kenya’s tennis calendar, has drawn players from Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and DR Congo.

The national wheelchair tennis team’s head coach, Riziki Salum, said a few moments before their departure that his players were well prepared for the tournament.

Salum said the four were selected during a qualifying tournament at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) last week.

Salum, who is now in Kenya with the team, named the players as Rehema Selemani, Lucy Shirima, Novatus Temba and Juma Hamis

He said his players have had been engaged in a serious training though sponsorship was their main concern.

“We are yet to secure an effective sponsorship, despite sending voluminous requests to the business firms and individuals,” he said.

Team captain Temba said lack of training equipment, especially racquets, is one of the challenges they have been facing.

“However, this (lack of training facilities) can’t stop us from achieving our set goal,” he insisted.

“We want to give Tanzanians something to smile about this week,,, a win in a world-class event,” he added.