Over 100 junior tennis players from the age of 6-18 gathered at the Blantyre Youth Center over the weekend to compete in the Malawi Academy of Sports (MAS) tournament.
The tournament which was sponsored by the Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) was organized with the aim of enhancing player participation and retention by 50%, initiate mental health session, analyzing player performance by checking usage of game strategies and situations at all levels and update performance ladder of all court levels.
Players competed in different categories which include special Olympics level 1,2,3, unified doubles, red court, orange court, green court, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under.
In the unified doubles category Hannah Winesi and Goshen Mlelemba emerged winners while Fidesi Banda Esau Nundwe finished as runners up. In the boys under 18 category Aaron Chiwambo emerged as Champion and Mussa White finished on second position, while in the under 18 girl’s category Atupele Kadammanja emerged as champion while funny Mpaha finished second.
In the under 16 boy’s category Brian Chiwaya finished on first position and Alfred Lipenga finished on second position. In the under 16 girl’s category Beauty Kaunda finished on first position while Ruth Matewere finished on second position.
In the under 14 boy’s category Esau Nundwe emerged as champion while Goshen Mlelemba finished on second position. In the under 12 boy’s category Mike Makwera finished on first position while Hope Nayeja finished on second position.
On the other hand, on the Green court in boy’s category Compassion Smart finished on first position and Wonderful Kayira finished on second position, while in the girl’s category Evelyn Nyangu finished on first position while Fides Banda finished on second position
On the Orange court in the boy’s category Richard James finished on first position and Mwayi Kamwana finished on second position. In the girl’s category Annie Malunga finished on first position while Yewo Mwafirwa finished on second position.
On the Red court in the boy’s category Chifundo Banda finished on first position and Sylvester Mbamba finished on second position, while in the girl’s category Thandaza Kaludzu finished on first position and Sharon Mwale finished on second position.
In the Special Olympics, under 10 boy’s category Upendo Ngulube emerged as champion and Mark Nyirenda finished on second position, while in the under 8 boys’ category Yewo Jere finished on first position while Raymond Liphava finished on second position.
In special Olympics level 3 in the girl’s category Ivana Duwa finished on first position and Shakira Mataka finished on second position while in special Olympics level 2 in the girl’s category Angel Kamoto finished first and Ireen Silumba finished on second position.
In Special Olpmics level 1 boys category Steve Nkhoma finished on first position and Kingsley Mtendere finished on second position, while in the girl’s category Angel Masambo finished on first position and Tafadzwa Pagaya finished on second position.
Meanwhile, Hanna Winesi and Goshen Mlelemba were voted as consistent players of the tournament in the girls’ and boys’ categories respectively.
All the players who took part in the tournament received notebooks and pens as 44 players who are registered under the MAS program were affected by Cyclone Freddy which affected the southern part of Malawi. One player lost his life while most of them lost their homes and belongings.
The MAS program is a junior development project which was initiated by MNCS in order to fill up the gap that exist at grassroot sport development in Malawi and exist in all the regions across the country. The sporting codes involved in the MAS project include Tennis, Football, Netball, Athletics, Basketball and Table tennis.
