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MBABANE – The Eswatini National Tennis Association (ENTA) is preparing to host the schools festival.
The tennis schools festival is a tournament for young tennis players who are still at school. The dates of the event are yet to be announced by the association, but it will be held under the Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) programme. ENTA recently appointed Njabulo Mbhamali as the National Co-ordinator of this programme.
ENTA President Derick Jele has confirmed the latest reports.
“We will be hosting a festival very soon for about 10 to 12 schools, where we will invite them to one centre to see what their coaches are doing,” Jele said. He added that the national schools co-ordinator Mbhamali was also training teachers to assist in coaching pupils. He said this programme was sponsored by the sport’s global body, the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
“We will try to spread it to as many schools as possible, to add on to those who are already part of the programme. Currently, we have about 12 schools in the programme,” the president further said. The programme is also aimed at promoting mass participation in tennis at a tender age.
Last weekend, ENTA held the Swaziland Building Society (SBS) juniors’ tournament at Mhlume Country Club.
This tournament will help them select the squad that is expected to represent the country in the ITF tournament to be held later this year. This will be the Under-12 boys and girls tournament. This weekend, the ENTA will stage the SBS seniors’ tournament at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Kwaluseni campus.