15 May 2024

Local tennis players’ good performance has put Botswana in the global map as the country is now ranked eighth in Africa.

Botswana amassed a total of 256 points; 181 points in doubles and 75 points in singles.

Other countries in the top 10 are Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Ghana. 

According to the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT), the best nations’ ranking of 2024 has been calculated on the basis of the total number of points earned by each nation in the singles and doubles events for girls and boys in the African Junior Championships (AJC) of 18 years and under, 16 years and under as well as the first AJC 14 years and under organised in 2024. Bonus points are also added to these points obtained in the second AJC for 14 years and under organised during the fourth quarter of 2023. 

Only the top eight singles results and the top eight individual doubles results of each nation are calculated with a maximum of two results per age group and gender. 

In an interview, Botswana Tennis Association president, Oaitse Thipe said the ranking was a great achievement as it also showed progress in the national team players, whose age ranged from under 12 to 18.

He said Ntungamili Raguin won the African Junior Championships in the under 14 category.

“We have also seen him doing very well in under 16 this year. Additionally, we have seen our under 14 boys perform well too,” he said.

Thipe said they would continue to invest in international competitions in under 14 and 18 categories so that they would have a pool of players to compete in such competitions.

If the players were to do well in under 12 to under 18 categories on the international stage, he said it would be easy to progress to the professional circuit. ENDS