Hartmann Online: Shabani for African Masters in Cairo next month

Nouldine Adam of Sudan right and Tanzanians Shabani Ibrahim.

Top local junior seed Shabani Ibrahim leaves the country November 9 for the coastal city of Cairo, Egypt ahead of the prestigious African 14 & Under Masters which gets underway November 11 to 15.

It will be the first time Tanzania participates in this high profile junior competition that comes once a year parading Africa’s top eight junior tennis players. Shabani is currently ranked 3rd in Africa and first in East Africa.

Other players from East African tennis Zone include Sudanese Adam Noureldine and Burundian Guy Orly Irandukunda who are ranked 7th and 8th respectively.

The confirmation follows Shabani’s impressive performance in the recently concluded ITF / CAT Grade One tournament held in Mauritius where he was a finalist in the doubles category but lost his singles quarterfinal bid 7-6 and 6-1 to Maurius Foo Kune Dylan.

While confirming his qualification, Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) revealed that the organization of the “African 14 & under Masters” gathers the best eight boys and eight girls tennis players in 2009.

CAT noted that the qualification is based on the player’s results in all African 14 & under circuit including the Masters 2008 and the African Junior Championships2009 (AJC) adding that the tournament will be held alongside the African Nations’ Cup 2009.

ITF East Africa Development Officer Prince Madema told reporters in Dar es Salaam that teenager fought bravely through the qualifying rounds of ITF/CAT 14 & Under Circuit that started in Nairobi, Kenya, and ended August in Kigali, Rwanda.

Madema said: “Shabani is a brilliantly developing player. His near perfecting grip on the racquet helped him consolidate his qualification in the Mauritius Grade One event last month, apart from his successful appearance in the Morocco AJC last April.

His trip to the African Masters is sponsored by the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT). The local association TTA must therefore confirm his participation before October 23 2009. On behalf of ITF in East Africa, I wish him the best with his racquet.”

East Africa was represented successfully in the inaugural event last year by Kenya’s Gibrael Teja and Hassan Ndayishimiye of Burundi and Madema was optimistic that the current representation is even stronger.

TTA Secretary General Inger Njau said: “It is nice for Tanzania tennis to have a competitive representation in the African 14 & Under Masters. Shabani’s current exploits is a good message for other players to work hard in training if they want to attain better results.”

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