The national junior tennis team of six players, including three boys and three girls start their bid for medals at this year’s ITF/ CAT East African Junior Circuits on Monday at Nairobi tennis club, Kenya.

The three-week long regional tournament for junior players (18 years and under) kicks-off this morning and will run through to December 5. However, the draws of the competitions which will have three legs of one week each were yet to be made by press time.

Coached by Mathieu Uwizeyimana, the team which departed on Friday evening by road arrived in Nairobi on Saturday night and held their warm-up session on Sunday.

The team includes youngsters Ernest Habiyambere, Fabrice Tuyishime, Etienne Niyigena (boys) while the girls’ team is comprised of Olive Tuyisenge, Evelyne Kwizera and Chantal Mutuyimana.

Speaking to Times Sport before the team departed, Habiyambere said he is in great shape ahead of the regional competition, which has attracted players from Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania as well as hosts Kenya.

Last year’s edition was held in Burundi but Rwandan players were eliminated in the earlier rounds.

"We have had enough preparations; so I believe we will perform better than last year in Bujumbura. Personally, my target is to win one of the three tournaments, I’m in good form and I think that I have gained enough experience from the last two editions,” 16-year-old Habiyambere said.

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