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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
MIDLANDS Tennis Board chairperson Stanley Rudhu believes the postponement of international junior tournaments that were scheduled for this month is a blessing in disguise as they are experiencing a slow resumption to their activities.

Zimbabwe were supposed to host three ITF 18-and-Under events this month but were put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The events have become a permanent feature on the local calendar since 2011.

However, due to the current situation most tournaments have been postponed across the world due to the pandemic.

Locally, tennis was categorised among low risk sport codes and allowed to resume some of their activities mainly training. They are also guided by the International Tennis Federation.

Rudhu revealed the numbers have been low although they have been training for the whole of July with most of the players and coaches failing to meet last Friday’s deadline for registration to start practice due to the effects of the pandemic.

“Currently we have got a mandate to register players and we have got certain conditions which we should meet, maintaining social distance, and trying to keep the players safe from Covid-19.

“So we went around making clubs aware, established clubs to register their players, we have sent the document to coaches.

“One centre that is opened at the moment is Kwekwe Sports Club. As I speak, I think we have got about eight players that have registered, all of them are from Kwekwe Sports Club and all of them are junior players.

“The rest are struggling.

“I think it’s economic, people have not been working and parents pay the annual registration for their children, so it’s a bit slower.

“Then we have got two coaches from Midlands, who are registered with the national coaches association.

“The rest were supposed to have submitted yesterday (Friday), which was the deadline for registration and they haven’t done that,” said Rudhu.

Rudhu said they are now looking at extending deadline to allow more players and coaches to do so register.

“We have to extend our deadline because right now we do not have junior tournaments.

“All the international junior tournaments that were scheduled for August were postponed and we don’t expect them earlier than October.