TZ shift focus to grassroots development

Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub

GLORY GIJIMA is confident that the country still has what it takes to restore past glory, especially as Tennis Zimbabwe (TZ) turns its attention to grassroots development.

The TZ acting president has backed her youngsters to help Zimbabwe climb out of tennis purgatory in the Davis Cup Africa Group IV, and back to the world elite.

“Yes, we have it within us to climb back to the Davis Cup elite groups, especially with our juniors doing so well,” said Gijima.

“We have many grassroots development programmes, starting from age groups as young as 12 and 14, right up to the Under-18s.

“We have been sending them to regional and international events so that we give them exposure and the required experience, so that they will be ready when the time comes.

“Most recently, our Under-14 girls were in Mozambique at a Confederation of African Tennis event and finished second behind South Africa to progress to the finals.

“If you look back at the Annual National Sports Awards, Ruvarashe Makunike and Sasha Chimedza emerged as big winners, as testimony to their exploits,” said Gijima.

Makunike swept both Junior Sportsperson and Junior Sportswoman of the Year, and was also nominated for the Regional Annual Sports Awards in Luanda.

In Chimedza’s case, she walked away with the Sportswoman of the Year award.

The boys, not to be outdone, have also been quietly building steam.

The duo of Zamani Moyo and Sean Taruberekera earned call-ups into Zimbabwe’s Davis Cup team for the June tournament in Kenya.

There, Zimbabwe topped their Group B, beating Angola (2-1), DR Congo (2-1) and Mozambique (3-0).

Unfortunately, the Courtney Lock-captained team lost out in the promotional play-off against Ghana 2-0.

This means they remain in purgatory, Africa Group IV, for the 2027 edition, as Algeria and Ghana took the two available slots.

On Zimbabwe’s performance, Gijima believes the team did very well to get as far as they did with such a young and inexperienced side.

She also lamented a few players who couldn’t make the trip due to visa issues.

“I think the team did very well for such a young and inexperienced side, topping their group only to falter at the last hurdle.

“My hope, going forward, is that the visa issues in Canada and the United States of America get sorted soon, as we have elite players at universities who couldn’t make the trip,” said the TZ boss.

The Zimbabwe young crop will take centre stage over the next week, starting with the Zim Closed Open that gets underway tomorrow.

That tournament will then be followed by the Inter-Provincials that will be held in Kwekwe.

TZ will then hold a junior international tournament in Harare next month.

“Our Inter-Provincials remain our premier local tennis event, and will see the country’s top junior players converge in the Midlands Province for intense competition,” said Gijima.

“At least five provinces — namely Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan, Masvingo, Manicaland and hosts Midlands — are expected to send their top players.

Gijima is on record targeting a rebuilding of Zimbabwe’s fading Davis Cup prospects and estimates that “about five years are needed to address the grey areas” for the comeback.

TZ believes that plan starts from the grassroots, with the Junior Tennis Initiative in schools and universities, while also making an effort to bring back players from United States, Canada and Australian colleges to represent Zimbabwe.

Growing the women’s game is also a priority, as TZ is believed to have sent a bid to the International Tennis Federation to host the Billie Jean King Cup and give Under-18 girls more exposure.