Donatus Nyaba and Georgette Nortey clinched victories in the Boys and Girls Under-14 categories, respectively, at the Kids Community Tennis (KTC) Xposure 2023 tournament held last Tuesday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Competing in front of an enthusiastic crowd, which included the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, eleven-year-old Georgette Nortey, who has been playing tennis for only a year, secured the girls’ title with a 6-2 victory over Lisel Ampah.
Despite initial challenges in the opening sets, Nortey adapted to the conditions, and the match swung in her favour after the players changed ends. Speaking to Graphic Online, she expressed delight in her victory and conveyed her eagerness to represent the nation on the international stage in the coming year. In the boys’ category, Donatus Nyaba claimed a comfortable victory in the final, defeating Edward Donkor 6-3.
Nyaba had a dominant run to the final, overcoming opponents Rashid Salifu and Edward Otoo in the earlier rounds.
Additional winners included Jephter Dowuona and Nhyira Antwi, who secured victory in the Boys and Girls Under-12 categories, and Maxwell Antwi and Emmanuella Williams, who claimed the Under-12 trophies. Minister Mustapha Ussif presented the trophies to the winners, emphasizing his commitment to promoting the development of sports, including tennis, at the international level. He highlighted the government’s initiative to construct five world-class tennis courts at Borteyman to support talent development.
Addressing the development of tennis beyond the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, Minister Ussif disclosed discussions with the Ghana Tennis Federation. He commended the organizers, Kids Tennis Community and Imagination Africa, for their dedication to nurturing young tennis players.
Sylvia Donkor, the founder of KTC, shared that her involvement in tennis was inspired by her son. Acknowledging the lack of resources hindering some children from participating in the sport, Donkor expressed hope that her organization, in collaboration with Imagination Africa, would bridge the gap and involve children in Korlebu and Madina with tennis.
By: Clement Osei Aboagye Source; Graphic online
