Tennis star Lumeta relocates to Morocco

Lawn tennis whiz-kid Chisomo Lumeta is now based in Morocco following the relocation of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Training Centre from the High Performance Centre (HPC) in South Africa to the North African nation.

According to Lawn Tennis Association of Malawi (LTAM) national coach Hackson Methiwa, the relocation came as a result of financial struggles the ITF centre has been facing.

He said the the Moroccan Tennis Federation offered a 50 percent discount on costs for running the centre and free hostels for junior tennis players.

“Apart from that, Morocco is much closer to Europe where most international competitions are conducted and it will be cost-effective to have a base in the North African country.” Methiwa said.

Lumeta was based in South Africa since 2009 after he won a scholarship following his outstanding performance during the Southern African Junior Circuit Championships. Then, he won a gold medal in the Under-12 category.

The 15-year-old is expected to be at the ITF centre until he turns 18. He is being nurtured to become a professional lawn tennis player capable of participating in the high-profile events such as the ITF Wimbledon Championships.

In a related development, Under-14 players Anderson Mdala and Zione Nkhoma are in Gaborone, Botswana, where they are set to start fighting for the ITF scholarship opportunities during the Southern African Junior Circuit Championships.

Methiwa said the two were selected for the international event after they won the 2013 Presidential Championship titles in their respective boys’ and girls’ sections. He said they will tussle for the rare opportunities in this four-day contest against other cream from the Southern Africa Region.

“This is a special event that would determine the future prospects of the two stars. The winner will go to Morocco later this year to have a final test against the African continent stars before being enrolled in the HPC,” Methiwa said.

Mdala and Nkhoma said they will try their best to make the grade at the international contest that will see them having a two-day training camp before engaging in the actual games.

“This is our chance. Lumeta is our inspiration and we want to follow his footsteps. We will do anything possible to realise our dreams,” Nkhoma said.