Malezi School, a partner of Sadili Oval Sports Academy, has won lawn tennis national title for the last 11 years.
The latest feat was during the Airtel Rising Stars National Championships at Kangaru High a fortnight ago.
The presence of the tennis-mad Malezi was felt in East African Secondary School Championships in Lira with the institution providing all but one player for the national team.
Malezi School under the captaincy of Jamin Luvembe claimed boys’ singles trophy and went ahead to dominate in boys and girls’ doubles at Kangaru.
Henry Ayesiga emerged winner in boys’ singles while the girls’ doubles saw the first pair of Melissa Brown/Chizi Mutsumi emerge victorious.
Malezi extended its sterling performance to boys’ doubles where Luvembe/John Lutaaya won the honours of top pair.
The players have been undergoing further training at Sadili Oval in preparation for forthcoming Championships.
Says their coach Dr Liz Odera, “We will need to stay focused throughout and prepare well, so that we can perform to the best of our ability, and bring the trophy home.”
Girls’ singles national champion Damaris Musera of Alliance Girls is the only none-Malezi School player in the lawn tennis squad.
Ayesige is certain of winning the inaugural title in Lira as he said: “I have regularly played against most of the guys I’m going to meet in Lira and beaten them. I’m sure that I would beat them against and bring the trophy to Kenya.”
Ayesige boasts of vast experience in the sport having competed in several International Tennis Federation junior tournaments over the years.
The youngster predicted that lawn tennis will be hotly contested since this is the first time that racket games are featuring on the programme of the games.
“The competition would be tough since everyone would want to lift inaugural trophy but I tip Kenyan players to the title,” he sai.
Like Ayesige, the doubles pairs of Brown/Mutsumi and Luvembe/Lutaaya are regular participants in East African circuit.
They are expected to utilise their vast experience to win Kenya overall tennis trophy.
Malezi has dominated the sport in high school games over years and enthusiasts are waiting to see whether the institution can extend its prowess beyond borders.
By OSCAR PILIPILI, The Standard
