Africa-Press – Botswana. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour J30 concluded in Gaborone over the weekend, highlighting the growing potential of Botswana’s junior tennis players.
Thirteen young local tennis players took part in the individual competition, which draws players from around the world in search of valuable ranking points.
“This is an individual competition where players come from all over the world in search of ranking points,” said the spokesperson of Botswana Tennis Association (BTA), Tshephang Tlhankane, in a telephone interview.
“We had participants from Zimbabwe, Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia, Croatia, Ireland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Great Britain.”
Despite strong international competition, Botswana’s Seabo Saleshando stood out as the tournament’s top seed coming into the tournament – an achievement that reflects his individual growth and the country’s development systems.
“It’s quite impressive to see that even after the likes of Esi Molefe and Mark Nawa exiting, we still have great representation,” said Tlhankane.
“Seabo being ranked number one coming into the tournament shows growth on his part and reflects the progress of our development structures.”
Emerging Talent
Although none of the local players advanced past the second round in singles or reached the quarterfinals, several performances offered hope for the future. Tinashe Phatshwane – aged 13 – made a notable debut, reaching the second round of the highly competitive J30 event.
“Tinashe really made a mark,” Tlhankane noted. “For a player his age to reach the second round is a great indication of the talent coming through.”
In the doubles category, Saleshando teamed up with South Africa’s Hlumani Kekana. The pair, seeded second, advanced to the quarterfinals. On the girls’ side, Botswana’s Rethabile Moshao partnered with Zimbabwe’s Ruvarashe Magarira, and they too made it to the quarterfinals.
Looking Ahead
With the J30 wrapped up, attention now turns to the ongoing ITF J60 tournament where a deeper field presents another opportunity for Botswana’s young players to gain experience and chase international success.
“Our players displayed some good tennis,” Tlhankane stated. “We are hopeful that they will do a lot better in the ongoing J60 tournament.”
The tournament has reinforced Botswana’s place in the junior tennis circuit and provided valuable lessons for its rising stars.
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