RWANDA Tennis Federation (RTF) has started preparations to stage the second leg of this year’s ITF/CAT East African Prize Money tournament slated for February 17-20 at Laico Umubano hotel.

According to the federation’s technical director Thierry Ntwali, preparations to stage one of the region’s most lucrative tournaments is already underway.

"I can say that we are already doing what we have to do to stage a successfully competition this year,” he said.

The event will start with the first leg in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura (February 11-14); proceed to Kigali for the second leg, before heading to Kampala for the third and final leg.

Dieudonne Habiyambere and Olivier Nkunda will lead Rwanda’s surge in the tournament where the top players will share prize money worth $4500.

In last year’s Kigali leg, Zimbabwe’s Martin Dzuwa trounced Habiyambere in the men’s final.

Local players are now expected to use this weekend’s Heroes Day tennis tournament as a build-up to the circuit, which should attract the region’s top players.

The Heroes Day event will be jointly held at Cercle Sportif, Amahoro stadium and Nyarutarama tennis club. Away from the main category (amateur), RTF has designated a veteran’s category which will attract the minister of Sports and Culture (Minispoc) Minister Joseph Habineza, Minispoc’s Permanent Secretary Jean Pierre Karabaranga and health minister Richard Sezibera among others.

Ends