Top seeds start well in Banque Populaire tennis Open

BPR Tennis Open Professional category J.C Gasigwa 6-3 6-4 C. KayitareD. Habiyambere 6-4 6-1 R. Bimenyimana JEAN Claude Gasigwa, Dieudonne Habiyambere and Olivier Nkunda are through to the second round of the Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) Tennis Open which threw off yesterday at Nyarutarama Tennis Club. Gasigwa thrashed Chris Kayitare 6-3, 6-4, Habiyambere made light work of Rome Bimenyimana 6-4, 6-1 while Nkunda landed an easy ride into the second round after a walk over in the opening round. This year, the tournament which started last year has attracted 32 players in the professional category, 32 players in the amateur section and 16 players in the ladies’ fray. According to the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Ben Kalkman, sponsoring the tournament falls under the company’s corporate social responsibility. “We have a history of getting involved in sports and we intend to uphold it because we know that there is plenty of talent in Rwanda and it is our responsibility to spot and groom it.” Last year, President Paul Kagame was one of the winners. While trophies await winners in the amateur and ladies category, cash prizes have been reserved for the winners in the professional category. The tournament winds up on Saturday. Ends

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Top seeds start well in Banque Populaire tennis Open