Five junior tennis players from Rwanda will feature in this year’s ITF African tennis Championships in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia between March 10 to 22. Ernest Habiyambere, Cedric Tuyishimwe, Mutuyimana Chantal, Flavia Kayitesi as and Evelyne Kwizera secured places after the qualification campaigns held in Tanzania between January 10th- 19th. The four will play in the U-16 category while in the U-14 only Kwizera managed to qualify. Coach Jean Baptist Nshimiyimana had gone with 9 players, both boys and girls but only 5 were able to qualify for the African ITF junior Championship in Tunisia. Now a total of 28 players, including boys and girls, will represent East Africa in the competitions. Ernest Habiyambere promised to emulate fallen sportsman Jean Claude Gasigwa. “It was very unfortunate that I didn’t get a chance to pay my last respects but I will aim higher to keep his high spirit going.” Habiyambere, who finished the qualification in first position, lost only once in the first leg singles 4/6 and 3/6 in the first and second se He then won the rest of the games beating Tanzania’s danger man Ali Hamza in the finals of the second leg singles 6/3 in both sets. He together with Cedric Tuyishimwe won both doubles in the first and second leg against Tanzania’s Emmanuel mahla and Omar sulle 6/3 in the first set and 6/4 in the second set.
