Rwandan Tennis player Emmy Mugisha has said he is delighted after signing a five-year contract to play for Bethel University, a private university in Mishawaka, Indiana, United States.
Mugisha, who played at the IPRC Tennis Academy, left Rwanda to begin a new Tennis chapter with Bethel University.
The youngster is now settling for life at the college with which he agreed to play for while also pursuing his studies in technology, an experience that he believes will help him grow his professional tennis career at the international level.
"It is a pleasure for me to play at international level; I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. This is another big step in my career, which shows that I am progressing well and heading in the right direction," he told Times Sport.
"I am going to play and study so that I can improve myself and my country," he added.
Mugisha, 21, in February went for a professional training course at Extreme Tennis Academy in Ismailia, Egypt, where he met one of the coaches who were scouting young talents for Bethel University.
The coach was impressed by the youngster’s tennis skills while participating at Hurghada Challenger 2022 tournaments and offered him a tennis scholarship to the university.
"It's a dream come true because I've been dreaming of playing outside of Rwanda for a long time. I know it will be very difficult but I am ready to challenge myself at the highest level and help my new team do well in every competition,” he noted.
He is so far the highest ranked Rwandan tennis player on the International Tennis Federation rankings where he is ranked 1585 in the world. With the opportunity, he wants to improve his game level until he comes among the world's top 500 tennis players.