Africa-Press – Lesotho. COSMOS Academy will host its debut Independence Tennis Tournament in Maseru from 1 to 4 October 2022.
Cosmos president and co-founder, Rantsane Monare, told guests during the launch this week that plans were already afoot to host the event annually.
He said the preparations were going on well and they already had 58 players registered for the tournament.
The event is meant to give players a chance to earn points for their national ranking while also celebrating the country’s independence. Lesotho got its independence on 4 October 1966.
Players will battle it out in the junior, senior and veterans’ categories in both the singles and doubles.
There is also a special category for under-18 to under-20 to help the players to prepare for the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Games. The games will be held in Malawi in December 2022.
The tournament is open for all and Monare said they are already receiving enquiries from players in South Africa. Registration closes on 24 September.
“We are going to make it an annual event,” Monare said.
“The turnout is promising and so far, we have 58 players. We have top players coming from South Africa who have also registered.”
There will be prizes for winners in all the categories. However, Monare said the juniors will only get gifts like vouchers instead of cash as stipulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) regulations.
On his part, Lesotho Lawn Tennis Association (LLTA) interim president, Ntsie Maphathe, showered praises on Cosmos for the initiative.
“Our task is to see to it that the sport is growing and there are many players playing all over the country.
“We can’t achieve that alone but with the assistance of the clubs. So what Cosmos is doing should be an example for other clubs,” Maphathe said.
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