The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
THE inaugural Dumiso Khumalo Memorial tennis tournament has been scheduled for 27 to 29 June while the Emakhandeni Open will be held in September.The organiser of the two tournaments, Tendai Sibanda said they have settled for the two dates which have been given the thumbs up by the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Tennis Board.
He said 27 June would be an exit weekend allowing pupils to participate in the games while they had to settle for September for the Emakhandeni Open as August is congested with tennis events.
“We are now ready to host the two tournaments and we sent the proposed dates to the Bulawayo Tennis Board and we are waiting for them to respond on whether they can accommodate us during those days.
“For the Emakhandeni Open we are still to settle for the exact days in September,” he said.
BMPTB chairman Zeb Mawisire confirmed the tournaments would be held on the proposed dates.
Sibanda mooted the revival of the two tournaments at the beginning of the year and his idea was welcomed by BMPTB who feel the more contests there are for young players the better.
The final stages of the two tournaments would be played at Emakhandeni Tennis courts that received a facelift last year, after resurfacing of the courts by the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority.
They were renovated for the Youth Games, hosted by Bulawayo last year, giving them a new lease of life as they were in a state of disrepair with no action taking place at the courts for many years.
Hosting the tournaments in the westerns suburbs is expected to revive the fortunes of the sport in the high density areas as it had waned to due lack of proper infrastructure.
As is the norm in junior tennis there will be no monetary prizes but each participant will receive a T-shirt with the winners getting medals and certificates.
Sibanda said they would love to partner other sponsors to provide other prizes such as tennis equipment.
“We are hoping to grow the tournaments as time goes on, this is our first year and with time there should be some of the top tournaments in the country. I feel interest in the sport can be revived by having meaningful action at the Emakhandeni courts,” he said.
The Emakhandeni Open is an old tournament that went into oblivion about a decade ago while the Dumiso Khumalo Memorial is a new tournament that was mooted to honour the legacy of the great player, who emerged from Emakhandeni Tennis Club.
“Dumiso was a great tennis player who emerged from Emakhandeni and creating a tournament in his name ensures that his legacy lives on. He was a role model for many and I think it would be great to see more youngsters coming up and achieving what he did,” said Sibanda.
He said although Khumalo’s career was cut short by death he had played where most players only dream of playing and had achieved a lot during that short period.
The competitions currently on the local circuit include the Bulawayo Open and the Tarryn-Leigh De Souza Memorial.
At the announcement of the revival of the two tournaments, Mawisire said: “Addition of new tourneys to the calendar comes as a boost because we would like to see more action for the tennis players.
“The more competitions there are the better for us as it will give the players an opportunity to perfect their craft.”
Several players emerged at Emakhandeni then under the tutelage of Aaron Mpofu, who left Zimbabwe for the United Kingdom.
Players such as Noel Wadawu and Khumalo were produced during the club’s hey days an indication of the immense untapped talent abundant in the western areas.
