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Takudzwa Chitsiga-Sports Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Davis Cup tennis team drumbeaters have called on local tennis enthusiasts to come in their numbers to support the team when they take on Uruguay in a World Group II Play-off tie at Harare Sports Club  tomorrow and Saturday.

The Zimbabwe Davis Cup team is made up of captain Takanyi Garanganga, the Lock brothers Benjamin and Courtney, Mehluli Sibanda and Benedict Badza; and the supporters’ spokesperson, Moses Chikonzi, said they are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting tie.

“We, the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team drumbeaters, are appealing to local tennis fans to come in their numbers and rally behind the boys. The team is representing us and we urge everyone to be behind the team so that we come up with a positive result against Uruguay.

“There is always need for support and we have always been behind the team whenever they play in the Davis Cup,’’ said Chikonzi.

The drum-beating group, which hails from Harare’s high-density suburb of Mufakose, is made up of 10 members who have become a regular feature at Davis Cup matches and have since bonded with the players.

Yesterday, the group took time to meet the players during their practice session at Harare Sports Club and promised to be behind the team from tomorrow.

“We started as far back as 1995 when we were friends with former national team player Martin Dzuwa and we would be behind him whenever he played. It was through that attachment with tennis as Mufakose, where we come from, became a tennis hub through the legendary tennis coach Albert Nhamoyebonde and we were the men behind the team through drum-beating and songs.

“It was during the Black brothers – Byron and Wayne – era when our tennis was at its peak when the (late) Paul Chingoka-led Tennis Zimbabwe board brought us on board. It was during a Davis Cup game against Chile that we did not come with our drums at the City Sports Centre when the boys refused to come out of the changing rooms.

‘’We had just attended the match without our drums and the players had not had our morale support and they staged a sit-in in the dressing rooms and the then tennis president Chikonga had to plead with us to come to their rescue and from there we have always been behind the Zimbabwe Davis Cup tennis teams. 

‘’The team went on to defeat Chile after many had written us off. We have worked with several administrators and players who made it into the senior team and we are not looking back.