02 Oct 2024

Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) has been granted the rights to host the 2024 African Junior Team Competition from October 6-13. 

This is a continuation of show of confidence on Botswana by the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT).

BTA vice president, Nonofo Othusitse, said in an interview that the tournament would be hosted at the National Tennis Centre in Gaborone and contested by players who are 12 years and under. 

He said the competition will draw 12 teams with close to 70 competitors from African countries in both the girls and boys 12 and under categories. 

 The 12 teams, he added, would include the host nation and the 10 African teams that qualified through the qualifying events organised in the different African zones Southern Africa, North Africa, East Africa, West Africa 1, West Africa 2 and Central Africa and one CAT invited nation. 

He said the participating teams in the boys’ category are Botswana, Tunisia, Algeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, and a Wild Card. 

In the girls’ category, there will be Botswana, Tunisia, Algeria, South Africa, Madagascar, Kenya, Uganda, Guinea, Benin, Cameroon, and the Wild Card. 

Othusitse said they thank the ITF, CAT and the Botswana National Sport Commission for giving them another opportunity to host a junior continental event. 

The hosting of these international events, he said, is a show of confidence by the CAT and ITF on their abilities and capacity to deliver these high profile events. 

Furthermore, he said it also puts the country in the spotlight and goes to showcase the nation’s growing prominence on the international sport stage. 

He said it offers local players an opportunity to play at home in front of home crowds.

Othusitse said that hosting also presents opportunities for advancement of the human resource capacity in the areas of sport administration and officiating as their officials have an opportunity to be organisers and officiate as referees, chair umpires and line judges.

He added that these would consequently improve the standard of tennis in Botswana. Ends