Rwandas Junior Hakizumwami has departed Kigali for Kenya to start his tennis scholarship programme at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) High-Performance Training Centre. The 13-year-old flew to Kenya aboard a Kenya Airways flight on Friday ahead of the start of the programme next month. He landed the scholarship last year after registering impressive results in trials and a number of regional competitions. Hakizumwami joins the Kenya-based centre after helping Rwanda to finish top at this year’s ITF/CAT East Africa Junior Tennis Championships held at Gymkhana Club in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The prodigy struck gold in boys’ singles U14 category after outplaying Kenya’s Ruinclife Omide 7-5 6-1 in the final. Through compatriot Carine Nishimwe, the girls’ U14 title also went to Rwanda. At the age of 11, in March 2018, Hakizumwami also won gold in the East Africa U12 Championships held in Kigali before representing the country – and East Africa – at the African Championships later that year in Morocco. During his stay in Kenya, the youngster will be developed to explore his tennis talent while at the same time continuing to pursue his academic studies.
