Clay courts way to go, says tennis boss Kenani
Kenya's Angella Okutoyi plays a backhand shot to Nigeria's Adesuwa Osabuohien during the Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III at the Nairobi Club on June 16, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The club has hosted events like the All Africa Tennis Games in 1987 and continues to be a breeding ground for future generations of players.
- Seeded 11th for the 12-nation Billie Jean King Cup (formerly FedCup), Team Kenya squad made up of USA-based Angella Okutoyi (Auburn University), Alicia Owegi (Alabama University) and Roselida Asumwa (Cowley College), Zimbabwe-based Melissa Nanjala Mwakha, Cynthia Wanjala Cheruto and Stacy Yego finished third in the six-day tournament.
Tennis Kenya president James Kenani reckons clay courts at Nairobi Club, the venue of the Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III tournament, will be a game-changer in development of the game locally.
After 110 years, the club upgraded the courts from murram to international-standard clay courts to the tune of Sh8 million, just in time for the tournament which has been referred to as World Cup of women’s tennis. It becomes the only local facility with clay courts.
“Clay courts will revolutionize our tennis because they are internationally-recognized all over the world,” said Kenani.
Tennis Kenya Secretary General Wanjiru Mbugua and Team Kenya captain Francis Rogoi also echoed similar sentiments.
“Murram has a lot of shortcomings compared to clay. For the purposes of development of tennis in Kenya, clay courts are the way to go,” noted Rogoi.
The club has hosted events like the All Africa Tennis Games in 1987 and continues to be a breeding ground for future generations of players.
Although Nairobi Club has become synonymous with tennis in Kenya, it also offers cricket, squash, bowling, hockey and football. It has a vibrant fitness center and swimming section.
The club's history is deeply intertwined with the founding of Nairobi itself, as both emerged in 1901 when the city was still a rapidly growing township.
Initially established for Europeans in East Africa, the club's membership included senior officers from the military, civil service, and railways.
Early members such as Sir John Ainsworth, Sir George Whitehouse, and Sir Frederick Jackson were joined by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, and Duke of Gloucester.
Nairobi Club’s prominence attracted visitors like former US President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909, and in 1924, it hosted all six colonial era governors of East Africa.
With nine tennis courts and a pavilion, Nairobi Club has hosted the national tennis governing body Tennis Kenya for over a century. Both have partnered in hosting high-profile International Tennis Federation (ITF) senior and junior tournaments.
Talented graduates from the club's ITF Regional Centre of Excellence include Wimbledon Junior Doubles champion Angella Okutoyi and renowned former professional player Paul Wekesa.
Nairobi Club's tennis section dates back to 1912, with the pavilion built nine years later.
The club has hosted events like the All Africa Tennis Games in 1987 and continues to be a breeding ground for future generations of players.
Seeded 11th for the 12-nation Billie Jean King Cup (formerly FedCup), Team Kenya squad made up of USA-based Angella Okutoyi (Auburn University), Alicia Owegi (Alabama University) and Roselida Asumwa (Cowley College), Zimbabwe-based Melissa Nanjala Mwakha, Cynthia Wanjala Cheruto and Stacy Yego finished third in the six-day tournament.
