By Michael Uugwanga
The town of Rundu in the Kavango East Region is turning into a major home of tennis following the establishment of the first-ever Kavango Regional School League, thanks to its founder and coach, Korea Roseman.
Roseman, who is an International Tennis Federation (IT- F)-certified coach, started the Rundu Tennis Academy in 2021 with the aim of developing the sport in the region.
Today, the academy has around 70 young children and some adults.
The town of Rundu is popularly known as a hub for football, netball, basketball and athletics, but that is no longer the case following the introduction of tennis, which brings a new dimension to the town’s sporting landscape and gives young people more opportunities to showcase their talents in various sporting codes.
Speaking to Confidente this week, Roseman said that despite the lack of sponsorship for the academy, the sport of tennis is on the rise, with more children showing interest in the sport.
Although the academy was only established a few years ago, several players under the academy are regular participants in Namibia Tennis Association (NTA) and Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) competitions, a sign that the academy has been working tirelessly to produce a number of talented players.
For the country to have a large number of players, tennis will need to be expanded to all corners of the country, but this will require resources and facilities.
The schools that are part of the Kavango Regional School League are Rundu Private African School, Noordgrens Combine School, Rudolf Ngondo Primary School, Rundu Christian Private School, Romanus Kampungu Secondary School, Friendly Private School, Tree House Private School and Mutete Private Institution.
“Nine schools compete, with each school having about two or more players, except Rundu Private African School and Dr Romanus Kampungu Secondary School, which are represented by one player each. At the moment, Rundu Private African School tops the table, represented by Emilson Ngola. The league is estimated to end in September, as this is the first-ever tennis league in the region. There is no sponsor on the ground at the moment,” Roseman said.
