Rwanda’s U12 national teams fly off to Casablanca this evening on Kenya Airways flight, at 6:30pm, ahead of the African Youth Tennis Championships – set for September 2-6 in Morocco.

Representing the East African region, the team of six – three boys and three girls – will be making their first appearance in any continental competition.

Speaking to Times Sport on Monday, coach Eric Bimenyimana and his trio of boys looked in high spirits and sounded confident as they wrapped up the month-long intensive preparations at Amahoro Stadium tennis courts.

It will not only be the first international competition for the six tennis youngsters, but it will be their first time on an airplane.

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Rwanda secured tickets to the continental showpiece after edging Kenya, Burundi and Uganda during East Africa’s zonal qualifiers staged in Kigali, in March this year.

While in Morocco, the boys will be coached by Bimenyimana while their female counterparts will be under the watchful eye of veteran tennis player Megane Ingabire

List of the traveling players

Boys: Junior Mfashingabo, Emmanuel Manishimwe, and Fabrice Niyonkuru.

Girls: Carine Ishimwe, Rona Tuyishimire, and Anabella Shema.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw