The Namibia Tennis Association (NTA) has hailed the recent Confederation of African Tennis (CAT)and International Tennis Federation U/14 tournament, held from 5 to 14 July, as a resounding success. 

The tournament was held in Windhoek at Central Tennis Court, and saw enthusiastic participation from up-and-coming tennis players from Namibia, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Botswana. 

It was divided into two legs, with notable performances from local and international players.

In Leg 1, Johan Theron, a promising local talent, made significant strides.

 Although he lost to top seed Ahmed Abid in the semi-finals with a score of 2-6 and 4-6, he showcased his resilience by bouncing back to defeat second seed Muchengeti Manzungu in a thrilling match for 3rd place with a score of 5-7, 6-2 and 10-5. 

This achievement marked the first time in several years that a Namibian player won a medal at a CAT event. The doubles match in Leg 1 also brought success for Namibian players.  Elrica Nakusera and Natalia Ouses reached the semi-finals, where they faced the second seeds, and lost with a score of 1-6 and 1-6. 

In the boys’ doubles, both Namibian teams reached the semi-finals. 

Luan Brand and Jaden van der Westhuizen lost to the top seeds with a score of 0-6 and 0-6, while Johan Theron and Tadiwa Mombeyarara put up a strong fight against the second seeds, eventually losing 3-6 and 0-6.

Leg 2 of the tournament continued to showcase the talents of Namibian players. 

Ouses impressed everyone with her performance, reaching the semi-finals before losing to the top seed, Emmly Lebogang George, with a score of 0-6 and 0-6. 

She then competed for third place, but was defeated by Claire Joanna Majeye, finishing fourth overall.

In the boys’ doubles of Leg 2, both Namibian teams once again reached the semi-finals. 

Tadiwa Mombeyarara and Van der Westhuizen faced the top seeds, Ahmed Abid and Chukwudubem Amaisaini, and lost 0-6 and 2-6. 

Meanwhile, Luan Brand and Johan Theron delivered a remarkable performance against the second seeds, Tinashe Phatshwane and Muchengeti Manzungu, in a challenging three-set match that ended with a score of 7-6, 5-7 and 6-10.

Speaking after the event, Larushka Kruger, who was part of the organising committee, praised the NTA for providing a platform for young athletes to compete at an international level, and for fostering sportsmanship and skills development. 

“This is a good initiative, as players were exposed to the highest level of competition. I think it’s a good thing that this is a platform where one can showcase their talent, and that’s what this event did. 

We hope NTA will organise more of these tournaments to test our players on how good they can compete at national level,” she said.