Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana’s teenage tennis sensation, Ntungamili Raguin, continues to blaze an impressive trail on the international stage — a feat that not only affirms his immense talent but also signals the steady rise of tennis in the country.
The 16-year-old recently scooped gold and silver medals at the prestigious African Junior Championships (AJC) held in Cairo, Egypt this past weekend. His victories have not only brought pride to Botswana but also intensified the spotlight on the Botswana Tennis Association (BTA)’s efforts to develop a sustainable pipeline of elite talent.
Continental success
Raguin teamed up with Moroccan Andriantefihasina Mirija in the boys’ doubles, battling to a thrilling 5-7, 6-3, 10-4 comeback victory over Algeria’s Nacer Ghouli and Yacine Meghari to clinch gold.
He wasn’t done
In the singles event, Raguin advanced to the final, where he put up a spirited fight against Nigerian top seed Ogunsakin Peter. Despite losing 6-2, 6-3, Raguin walked away with a silver medal — marking his second continental title after lifting the AJC Under-14 crown last year.
Currently competing in the ITF J100 tournament in Turkey, Raguin’s rise is not only inspiring young players in Botswana but also reshaping the narrative of tennis in a country largely dominated by football and athletics.
Bright future
BTA’s head of Marketing and Public Relations, Tshephang Tlhankane, believes Raguin’s achievements are a product of deliberate and strategic efforts to support young players.
“Raguin’s win shows that indeed tennis in Botswana is going somewhere in the right direction,” Tlhankane said in a telephone interview. “This means our players are getting the much-needed attention which in turn also shines the spotlight on Botswana Tennis Association.”
He added: “This also encourages and forces us to put a lot of resources into development for the sake of continuity so that there is a pool of players even after these high-performance players are no longer juniors and have transitioned in their careers.”
Development drive
For the BTA, Raguin’s ascent reinforces the importance of investing in youth development and providing young players with exposure to top-level tournaments.
“There is, has been and will always be support for our players,” Tlhankane said. “Unfortunately, tennis is more of an individual sport than a team sport, so you can’t just single out a certain player for the sake of fairness — but there is support in place to ensure that kids play very important tournaments that have potential to give them a good standing in the ITF and CAT rankings.”
Grand ambitions
The Association’s long-term vision is clear — support Raguin as he climbs the international tennis ladder, with the hope of one day seeing him grace the biggest stages of the sport.
“The vision is to see him start playing Junior Slams and eventually turn pro and start playing ATP,” said Tlhankane.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
