After Cara, it’s been quiet on the tennis front
HAVING had Cara Black dominating around the world, for years, it’s sad the country has not had other players following in her glorious path in tennis.
Some of the players who have emerged from this country include the likes of Fadzai Mawisire, Nicole Dzenga and Valeria Bhunu.
Former Davis Cup team non-playing captain, and coach Martin Dzuwa, said lack of financial support has been a major factor.
“There are quite a number of issues that, maybe, have made women’s tennis not to grow,’’ he said.
“Before, there used to be grants from ITF, even us, we got grants from ITF.
“It was not much but it would help you to move from one place to another and try to make it.
“When you are now Under-18, it becomes so hard because there is a lot of travelling involved.
“There is a lot of money involved in touring. “And, before, there used to be the touring teams, if you are top, maybe top four in Africa, whatever the number, they will pick you and you travel to Europe for two to three months on senior-level playing tournaments, futures. “That made it easy to break through.’’ Dzuwa noted that with more demands, when one turns professional, most of the players, and parents, were focusing on scholarships and pursuing other areas of interest after that.
“My kid will play tennis, after Form Four or A-Level they will go to America on a full tennis scholarship, then that’s it,’’ he said.
“That’s how we have lost players, not that we have bad players.
“We have good players but the support that we are getting is not helping anybody because, for a parent, it becomes too much.
“And our association, I think, they are also struggling as well.’’
Another coach, Richmore Murape, said there weren’t enough supporting structures.
“If they get the scholarship, then, that’s the end of everything. As long as they get to Europe, I don’t think they pursue sport, so, the set-up is not good enough, the supporting structure is not good enough,” said Murape.
ANTHONY Joshua is set for his first fight in over a year after the world heavyweight champion said yesterday he would defend his titles against Kubrat Pulev at London’s O2 Arena on December 12.
Britain’s Joshua was originally scheduled to fight Pulev on June 20, with a second date in July also mooted amid the coronavirus pandemic.
December’s bout will be the first time Joshua has fought since outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr to regain his titles on December 7, 2019.
Pulev himself announced the bout with Joshua on Monday but did not specify a venue.
This will be Joshua’s first home bout in more than two years, with his IBF, WBA, WBO and
IBO up for grabs.
Spectators are currently barred from major sporting events in Britain but Joshua remains hopeful he can yet have something of a home crowd to roar him on.
“I have a lot of history with the arena, but without the fans something huge is missing,” said Joshua.
“I am really hoping that, safety permitting, we might be able to bring some boxing fans in, but we will have to see.
“December 12 is the date and once again the heavyweight belts go up in the air and it is my sole focus to make sure that come December 13 they are in their rightful place in the UK,” he added.
Pulev, in a post on his own website, said Monday: “It’s official: Pulev v Joshua on December 12 in London.
Pulev has been waiting for a chance to face Joshua for almost three years now after a shoulder injury forced him out of a world title bout in October 2017.
The fight should be Joshua’s last before taking on WBC champion Tyson Fury in a lucrative all-British unification bout next year.
Fury is set to defend his heavyweight belt before Christmas before what UK media report will be a springtime clash at Wembley, assuming coronavirus crowd restrictions have been lifted by then. — SuperSport