In The Footsteps of Angella Okutoyi: Budding Tennis gamers in Mombasa KAS Camp Impress Coaches
MOMBASA, Kenya, Dec 9 – Mirroring Kenya’s prime Tennis participant Angella Okutoyi, veteran coach Elly Madegwa has projected extra gamers will emerge from the continued Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) vacation sports activities boot camps.
Madegwa is among the coaches managing the Coast area the place six women had been chosen from the six counties of Tana River, Mombasa, Lamu, Kilifi, Kwale, and Taita Taveta for the two-week residential coaching camp.
The degree 2 coach informed Capital Sport that he’s happy with the progress of the budding gamers urging KAS to make the camps consistency and likewise look into investing in enjoying gear.
“If we can make these camps not a one-off, and do follow ups with schools, we can get an Angella Okutoyi because she (Angella) started when she was a small girl and we did not know she could come this far,” Madegwa stated after taking by way of the ladies morning session on the Shimo la Tewa Secondary School.
He added, “If we can have many tennis courts, we will get many Angela Okutoyis because the most important thing is a facility. We have girls who want to play, but they will now wait until school time so that they can play. I wish KAS could have their own facilities where these young girls could play, it will be very good for the junior development.”
“I have two girls who had never played tennis before and within the one week I have been with them, the girls have been able to play the ball over the net which is very important, they have known how to serve, they know how to volley, they know how to smash… things they did not do in school and things they have not learnt before.”
Lawn Tennis alongside Table Tennis attracted few numbers within the women class and coach Madegwa attributed the low turnout over brief discover.
“We wish these camps could have started longtime ago so that we can be able to develop tennis in Coast and our young students who are not able of getting these facilities in schools. There was a low turnout because most of the parents were unable to release girls. We have a good number of girls playing tennis in Mombasa, but some had already travelled on holiday,” the coach defined.
For consistency, Madegwa urged KAS to have an information base that can assist observe up the event of the gamers whereas in class.
“I have taken the phone numbers of their school teaches (coaches) for regular follow ups. I wish KAS could also do the same and make sure when these students leave here, they don’t stop playing or practicing.”
-Player comfortable in camp-
One of the participant Gladys Kachi fell in love with the sport of Tennis when she joined kind one and since then she has by no means appeared behind.
“Training is going on well here in camp and I am learning from the coach and other tennis players from Coast region. Thanks to the camp, I have been able to sharpen my skills in serving, receiving and smashing the ball as well as how to hold a racket,” the Form Three pupil informed Capital Sport.
The solely problem that she is going through is consistency in coaching; “I do not play tennis regular in school because there is no enough time. Tennis has taken me to Kisii and Kakamega during the nationals in School Games,” Kachi, who idols legendary Serena Williams stated.
