MWILA NTAMBI, Kitwe
ZAMBIA’S seed two Nkumbu Chonya has urged the corporate world to focus on improving junior tennis because that is where the future of the sport lies.
Chonya was a runner-up in the just-ended Nchanga Open Tennis Championship after losing to top side Edgar Kazembe, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.
In an interview yesterday, Chonya said Zambia has the potential of producing top-class players if only sponsors focus on junior tennis.
He said sponsors need to include all categories that are sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) whenever they organise a tournament.
“One thing I would urge sponsors is to concentrate more on the junior section because that is where the future is. They need to include all the categories sanctioned by ITF starting from under-10 going upwards for both girls and boys,” Chonya said.
He, however, thanked sponsors of the just-ended tournament in Chingola for their efforts to revamp the court and facilities at Nchanga Racket Club.
“Konkola Copper Mines and other sponsors did a tremendous job to revamp the court and facilities at Nchanga tennis club because we’ve not had a tournament in a long time. The tournament went very well and we would like to thank the sponsors,” Chonya said.