Moffat Mungazi
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MUTARE tennis sensation, Tendai Chihowa, son of Manica Diamonds chairman, Masimba Chihowa, is set to depart for the United States to take up a four-year full scholarship at Prairie State College in Illinois, Chicago.
The exceptionally talented tennis player earned the full scholarship due to his outstanding performances on the court, which had been closely monitored by scouts from the US-based college.
At the renowned college, Chihowa will, not only continue to pursue his tennis career, but also undertake a degree in Computer Science.
To his credit, Chihowa has won several local competitions, including the 2022 Harare Open Tournament and Mantas Open Tournament.
The Mantas Tennis Academy player, who turns 19 this year, completed his A-Level studies at Princeton Institute in Mutare last year.
Chihowa expressed delight at securing the scholarship, saying: “I am thrilled to have achieved this feat. It is something I have been eagerly looking forward to. My goal is to contribute to the development of tennis in Zimbabwe and Africa, while also academically pursuing Computer Science and eventually securing a job,” he said.
Vincent Nyatoti, Chihowa’s coach at Mantas Tennis Academy, expressed confidence in the player’s potential as an ambassador for the academy.
“Tendai possesses both talent on the court and discipline off it. This gives us confidence that he will make a great ambassador for the academy in the United States,” he said.
In related news, Tashinga Mtisi, another gifted player from Mantas Tennis Academy, has been selected to participate in the African Junior Championships (AJC) in Egypt later this month.
However, his participation is contingent upon securing sufficient funding.
Mtisi, a former St Dominic’s High School learner, has also been invited to join a tennis academy in France.
However, the visa application process and financial constraints are currently posing significant challenges.
In a separate development, Mantas Tennis Academy’s Tendai Msabaeka was selected to represent Zimbabwe in the upcoming African Junior Championships (AJC) in Namibia.
The tournament, scheduled to take place next week, will feature eight players in each of the Under-12, 14, and 16 age categories, with an equal number of boys and girls participating.
