Twenty-year old Joshua Muhire and Olive Tuyisenge have been crowned champions of the 2022 Cogebanque Tennis Open that concluded Sunday, December 4, at Cercle Sportif de Kigali(CSK).
Muhire, who represents IPRC-Kigali Tennis Academy, took home the silverware after beating Claude Ishimwe 2-1 (1-6, 6-3, 6-3) in the men’s final while Tuyisenge won the tournament in the professionals’ category after overcoming Chantal Mutuyimana 2-1 (2-6, 6-4, 6-4) in women’s final.
The two winner’s triumphs have something in common as they came from a set down to win the finals
Tuyisenge for, instance, struggled in the opening set and lost it 1-6 before she bounced back to win the second set 6-4 to tie the scores.
She almost lost the third and decisive set at the time she went down the court due to an injury then she sustained during the last minutes of the game, prompting the doctors to assess the extent of her injury.
She returned to court stronger and beat Mutuyimana 6-4 to win the final set that saw her crowned champion of the tournament.
"I only won this final because I played my normal game. I just wanted to stick to my game even if I could lose and I am happy it worked for me,” said Tuyisenge after the victory.
In the men’s final, Ishimwe took the first set 6-1, meaning that Muhire had to bounce back from a set behind to turn the result around, which he did after winning the second and third sets 6-3, 6-3 to win the finale.
"The final was so difficult for me because my game plan had to change after I lost the first set. I changed a little bit and, fortunately, it worked for me in the second and third sets. So I am so happy to win this tournament,” said Muhire.
With the victories, Muhire and Tuyisenge took the crown away from Etienne Niyigena and Meghan Ingabire who were the reigning champions, having won the tournament in 2021.
Organized by CSK Tennis Club in partnership with Cogebanque, the annual Tennis tournament, which was in its sixth edition, kicked off Friday, November 25, and concluded Sunday, December 4, attracting over 100 Tennis players from different national tennis clubs and two regional clubs from Goma, DR Congo and Bujumbura in Burundi.
National clubs that were represented in the tournament include CSK Tennis Club, IPRC-Kigali Tennis Club, Nyarutarama Tennis Club, APR Tennis Club, Remera Tennis Club, Kanombe Tennis Club, Butare Tennis Club, Musanze Tennis Club, and Cimerwa Tennis Club.
Besides men and women’s professionals, there were also participants who competed in other categories namely mixed doubles (amateur and professional), juniors (men and women), and wheelchair classes.
Karel Van Roey won the tournament for amateurs while GB Banjara and Emmanuel Hakizimana won the men's, as well as Fiona Uwamwezi, were champions in men’s and women’s Wheelchair Tennis competitions respectively.
Winners from each category were given trophies and medals.
This was the sixth time that Cogebanque Tennis Open was happening and bank CEO Guillaume Ngamije Habarugira can only see the tournament growing and becoming more competitive in future editions while also ensuring a healthy community through sports.
"It is our utmost responsibility to promote healthy living by supporting Tennis and sport in general, this tournament played a vital role in improving the skills of both professionals and amateur tennis players, and strengthened as well the relationship between Cogebanque and participants of this tournament,” Habarugira told the media after the tournament.
"We thank Cercle Sportif de Kigali Tennis Club for this important partnership and we look forward to future collaborations. I encourage Tennis players and supporters to use Cogebanque inclusive financial services that are accessible, essential, and affordable,” he added.
CSK Tennis Club Secretary General Eric Kabeza hailed the bank’s continued partnership in organizing the tournament and their contribution to the development of Tennis at large.
"The bank has been supportive in the development of Tennis. The tournament has been growing over the past six years of our partnership and we hope to achieve more together,” Kabeza said.
About Cogebanque Plc
Cogebanque (Compagnie Générale de Banque Plc) is a Rwanda-based commercial bank, licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda. It started operations in 1999.
It is one of the fastest-growing banks in Rwanda and today has 28 branches, over 600 agents, and 36 ATMs across the country. These are supported by Mobile banking (USSD on *505# and Mobile App "Coge mBank”), SchoolGEAR, Cards (Mastercards, SafariBus & Smart cash), and internet banking delivery channels accessible through different media.
Cogebanque has served Rwandan industries for over 23 years with innovative services to its customers and has positively impacted the economy.
Cogebanque provides a comprehensive range of products and services targeted at corporate, SME, and retail customers.