Asumwa arrives for Billie Jean King Africa tourney
Chairman of Karen Country Club Alan Wainaina issues certificates of membership to twins Angella Okutoyi (right) and Roselida Asumwa on August 17, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Kenya, who last hosted the tournament dubbed as the World Cup of women tennis in 1995 when it was called FedCup, will face top players Botswana, Burundi, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe for a place in 2024 Europe/Africa Group II. It is part of the Paris Olympic 2024 qualification.
US-based Kenyan tennis player Roselida Asumwa is confident local players will give good account of themselves in Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III tournament slated for June 12-17 at Nairobi Club.
The 19-year-old Asumwa, who is on sports scholarship at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas, arrived Monday for the tournament.
“I’m happy that we are hosting the tournament here at home, and hopefully that should work in our favour. It’s a good thing to play in front of our home fans,” Asumwa said Monday.
“I think Team Kenya has prepared well. We want to win this tournament. I know my team-mates have been giving their 100 percent in training while I was still in the USA. I’m confident that we have what it takes to win it,” Asumwa, who is twin sister of Junior Wimbledon doubles champion Angella Okutoyi, said.
Asumwa, who was part of Team Kenya that featured in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2021 and 2022, joins Okutoyi and the 19-year-old Alicia Owegi in the team for this year’s event.
The two are also on sports scholarships in the USA at Auburn and Alabama universities respectively in Alabama. Kenya’s other player is Mbagathi Road Secondary School student Cynthia Wanjala. Stacy Yego and Zimbabwe-based Melissa Mwakha are reserve players.
Asumwa, Owegi and Wanjala represented Kenya in the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group III (Pool E) in Lithuania. They were also part of the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group III (Pool D) in Skopje, North Macedonia.
Kenya, who last hosted the tournament dubbed as the World Cup of women tennis in 1995 when it was called FedCup, will face top players Botswana, Burundi, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe for a place in 2024 Europe/Africa Group II. It is part of the Paris Olympic 2024 qualification.
