Tennis Kenya today honors Angela Okutoyi for being the first Kenyan woman ever to play and win a junior Grand Slam match at the Australian Open tournament.
At the age of 14, Okutoyi was awarded the Prestigious Kenya Open prize. In the same year, she traveled to the USA and participated in one of America’s largest tournaments for under-14-year-olds. Okutoyi came away with two wins over 18-years-old.
Okutoyi addressed the media at The Nairobi Club on Tuesday. She stated that her experience with the Australian Open tournament was great and that it taught her that people have a strong mentality while playing. She also said that her inspiration comes directly from Serena Williams and her grandmother.
She said that she hopes to break her own record, and perform well at the upcoming tournaments.
James Kenani, President Tennis Kenya (TK), stated, “The unique thing about tennis, it teaches us about honesty where the player calls out the line and the opponent agrees it’s a point.”
He pointed out that the High Performance Training Centre (ITF) sponsored by the Government of Kenya has led to dramatic changes in the sport and in the players.
He also mentioned that Angela Okutoyi was a beneficiary of such programs.
He stated that Okutoyi would be a role-model for the younger players in TK’s eyes and that she would fight back during tournaments.
Kenani announced that a sports fund was established and appealed for support from all stakeholders.
“The gaps cannot be filled without resources. With support all is not lost as we can produce our world class players,” said Kenani.
The Chairman of TK Coaches Commission, Francis Rogoi, highlighted that Okutoyi’s journey to becoming a champion started at Bujumbura in Burundi.
He said that he had met with other stakeholders to convince the ITF that Okutoyi was a promising tennis player. Angela has since joined the training center in Burundi.
“If there could be a way to change our surface we have a big opportunity to produce more people like Okutoyi,” he added.
Paul Wekesa, an ex-professional tennis player, encouraged Okutoyi’s perseverance and work ethic. Okutoyi approached the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage asking for assistance in terms of training with top players around the globe.
Mary Wangari and Manu Mutmba
Source: kenyanews
