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Tennis: Kenya to host Billie Jean King Cup in June

Angella Okutoyi

Kenya's Angella Okutoyi plays a forehand shot during the Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III at the Nairobi Club on June 14, 2023.

Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

By  Geoffrey Anene

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • Kenya and Burundi were the only countries that placed bids to stage the top-tier African competition
  • Kenya have also placed a bid to stage the Davis Cup Africa Group IV


Kenya will host the Billie Jean King Cup Group III Africa from June 10 after pipping Burundi to win the hosting rights for the 2024 edition. 

The East Africans won bronze during the same event held on the clay courts of the Nairobi Club in Upper Hill in June last year.

Kenya and Burundi were the only countries that placed bids to stage the top-tier African competition whose winner will gain promotion to Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Group II in 2025.

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“Yes, we (Kenya) have won the bid to host the Billie Jean King Cup Group III Africa,” said Tennis Kenya Secretary General Wanjiru Mbugua on Wednesday.  

Inspired by Junior Wimbledon Doubles champion Angella Okutoyi, Kenya defeated Morocco 2-1, Botswana 3-0, Uganda 3-0 and Namibia 3-0 and then lost 2-1 to Nigeria in Pool “A” to vie for the bronze medal against Zimbabwe where coach Francis Rogoi’s side won 2-1. 

Other members of the Kenyan team were USA-based Alicia Owegi and Okutoyi’s twin sister Roselida Asumwa, Cynthia Cheruto, Stacy Yego and Zimbabwe-based Melissa Mwakha.  

Morocco gained promotion after beating Tunisia 2-1 in the final. Tunisia had topped Pool “B”, which also had Zimbabwe, Ghana, Mauritius, Burundi and Seychelles. 

Uganda outclassed Seychelles in the relegation play-off. South Africa and Madagascar will be the new faces this year. The South Africans were relegated from Group II, while Madagascar got promoted after winning Group IV.  

Okutoyi became the first Kenyan to win the African Games singles title since 1978 in Accra, Ghana, last month. She also won silver in doubles with partner Cheruto.

Okutoyi will compete in tournaments in the USA to earn ranking points to achieve the top-400 ranking required to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

It will be interesting to see how she juggles playing college tennis and futures in the USA in her bid to get to top-400 as well as feature at the Billie Jean King Cup in Nairobi. 

Kenya have also placed a bid to stage the Davis Cup Africa Group IV, which it hopes to wrestle from last year’s hosts Rwanda, who have also bid. 

The winner of the bid to host the men’s event will be announced this week. 

In the headlines