Following her impressive performance in leading Team Kenya to a bronze medal at the Billie Jean King Cup, Wimbledon Junior doubles champion Angela Okutoyi is gearing up for the upcoming Futures tournaments in Morocco and Tunisia.
Regardless of narrowly missing out on promotion to Euro Africa Group II, Okutoyi is optimistic about her chances and believes her game has significantly improved.
“I’m excited to compete in the singles tournaments in Morocco and Tunisia. We had a successful run at the Billie Jean King Cup, and I aim to continue performing well and making my country proud,” Okutoyi expressed.
The tournaments will take place on clay courts, and Okutoyi believes that practising at the revamped Nairobi Club has provided her with an advantage in her preparations.
“The new surface at Nairobi Club is excellent, and it has greatly contributed to my readiness for the upcoming events,” she remarked.
The Alabama-based student also emphasized the need for Tennis Kenya to provide more opportunities for players to gain exposure by participating in international tournaments against strong opponents from countries like Morocco and Tunisia.
“In terms of talent, I believe we are heading in the right direction, but we require more exposure at international tournaments to compete against the best on the continent,” Okutoyi added.
Reflecting on Team Kenya’s performance, Okutoyi highlighted their improved serving as a crucial weapon that has supported their success throughout the tournament.
“We have all made significant progress this year. Our serves are better than ever, giving us an edge over our opponents,” she stated.
In recognition of their achievements, Okutoyi, along with Rosehilda Asumwa, Cynthia Wanjala, Alicia Owegi, Melissa Mwakha, and Stacy Yego, received a total of Sh128,000 in allowances and Sh50,000 each from Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
Expressing gratitude for the support shown by Namwamba, Okutoyi mentioned how it brought smiles to the team’s faces.
Tennis Kenya’s Nancy Nduku also revealed plans to send one more player to the North African tournaments in their pursuit of exposure and the goal of earning promotion to Euro-Africa Group II next year.
“We are considering sending another player to the tournaments to gain experience as we continue our quest for promotion,” Nduku explained.
