Sh400m Tennis Kenya centre ready for take-off: Game facility due for construction at the Moi International Sports Centre

SPORTS PERSONALITY NOVEMBER, 2017 Ismael changawa receives Sports personality of the month award from Startimes marketing manager Japheth Akhulia (left) at Karen Country Golf club. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

ITF president Haggerty to oversee ground-breaking ceremony in Nairobi

International Tennis Federation (ITF) President David Haggerty, who was expected in the country last night, will preside over the ground-breaking ceremony of a Sh400 million Tennis Kenya (TK) centre today. TK vice president Francis Mutuku said the facility will be at Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi.

The ITF boss is on a two-day tour of Kenya and is expected to highlight the federation's plans for Kenya. “We will know, from Haggerty, the kind of assistance the global body will give Kenya, but I can assure you we are going to benefit immensely from the tour,” said Mr Mutuku.

After overseeing the ground-breaking ceremony at 3pm tomorrow, Haggerty will also inaugurate the ITF East and Central Africa High Performance Centre at Upperhill.

Mutuku said the TK Centre will sit on 10 acres and comprise 24 tennis courts and an administration block. The project will be done in phases in four years. He said ITF had been a major benefactor to the tennis camp that is being transformed to a fully fledged ITF East and Central Africa High Performance. “We are delighted that apart from a High Performance Centre, Kenya will have its first public facilities at Kasarani since the colonial days,” said Mutuku.

Haggerty will be accompanied by representatives from the ITF London office, including Frank Couraud, the Project Administrator, Amine Ben Makhlouf, the ITF Development Officer for Africa and Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) president Tarak Cherif.

Haggerty’s working visit is part of his vision for African that he promised when he joined ITF. “His was to empower continental, regional and national associations to build the sport by their own initiative and locally thought out projects,” said Mutuku, adding that the Centre and residence that Haggerty is to open has 12 elite players from five Africa countries.

The players from Kenya, Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon and Madagascar reside and receive education at the Centre under ITF Certified Coaches, headed by ITF Development Officer Thierry Ntwali at Nairobi Club.

TK president James Kenani will brief Haggerty on the status of the sport locally. The ITF president will also meet Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa. Haggerty is expected to leave for Rwanda on Friday accompanied by Kenani, for the Confederation of African Tennis Annual General Meeting that will take place for two days.