EA Safari Junior Tennis Camp Comes To A Close

The 14th annual  East Africa Safari Junior Tennis came to a close on Sunday 18th August 2013 after 14 days of quality learning under some of Africa's best professionals: 1. Mr. John Kasule, PTR Professional, Clinician and Tester, and Administrator of the Uganda Lawn Tennis Association, 2. Katsuya Otsu, Professor at Department of Sport & Leisure Management School of Physical Education at Tokai University Japan and a member of the Japan Olympic Committee and Global Sports Alliance, 3. Dr. Liz Odera, International Tennis Professional, PTR Clinician and Tester, as well as camp director. The Camp Coordinator was Rehema Akinyi, under whom the camp and tournament program was managed, with a program that included Training at Sadili Oval, Smashers Challenge Tournament at Karen Country Club, Second Training at Sadili Oval, and the East Africa Junior Open at Sadili Oval.

Players who attended include Uganda’s rising stars, Frank Tayebwa, Saidat Kemugisha, Boris Aguma and Winnie Birungi, while Burundi was well represented by little-known rising star in the girls under 12s, Hoziane Kitambala. Malezi School tennis team, the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association's Boys Champions Henry Ayesiga, John Lutaays, Jamin Luvembe and Girls Doubles Champions Melissa Brown and Chizi Mutsumi also used the camp for preparation to the East Africa School Games that will be held in Lira, Uganda soon. Tennis has been included for the first time, and competition is expected to be tough.

A brainchild of International Tennis Professionals and managed by Sadili Oval Sports Academy since its inception 14 years ago, this camp remains the most prestigious event in the tennis calendar in the region, and continues to attract large numbers of talented junior players between 6 and 18 years, from USA, Africa and Europe, to train and also compete in the East African Junior Tennis Open that marks the end of each camp, annually. Professional coaches who have attended the camp in the past include Coach Bill Murray (former coach of Venus and Serena Williams), Greg Moran, top coach and celebrated writer, and Paul Holbach, Coach of Lindsay Davenport. The camp is sponsored by Professional Tennis Registry, NJTL, Sadili Oval, Global Sports Alliance, Oncourt Offcourt and Sarova Hotels.

The event also marks a well-supported one-year Star Search, that is taking place around the East African region, beginning in Nairobi during the Junior Camp in December, then followed by Mombasa, and running through Kisumu, Kampala, Bujumbura, Kigali, Arusha, before completing its journey back in Nairobi in November. Products of this camp include Amadi Kagoma, Maurice Wamukowa, Rahab Mbugua, Joab Odera, Aziza Butoyi, Terry Odera  and Amadi Kagoma (all currently based in USA).

In an interview at the camp, Dr. Liz Odera said, "We have successfully produced two decades of great junior tennis players, and its time to begin a new cycle of stars who perform well, in both school and tennis. Arrangements have been concluded to make this even better with new programs coming up to make this possible with the expansion of the Sadili Africa Talent Training Academy, which includes international learning support and expanded schooling partnerships".