Haileybury to host top Kenyan tennis players

Haileybury is to host eight tennis players from Eastern Africa next week. The students are from Malezi School in Kenya, and are making history as the first from the region to travel on a tennis exchange with schools in the United Kingdom.

This maiden trip, which will be the first of many, is sponsored by Virgin Atlantic and SKAL, and will see the Malezi School team visit and play against UK’s top tennis schools as part of developing new partnerships between top tennis schools in England and Malezi School.

The school has topped Kenyan tennis for the past 11 years and most of its former players (like former junior champions Rahab Mbugua, Maurice Wamukowa and Terry and Joab Odera) are studying in the US on tennis scholarships. One of the visitors to the UK, Azisa Butoyi, is the reigning KCB Kenya Open ladies singles champion, while the rest of the team comprises the top players in Kenya.

"This exciting trip will also have players participate in the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative as well as touring the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton and the Wimbledon Tennis Museum," explains Dr Liz Odera, the team’s coach.

The visitors will take on Haileybury’s top players on Saturday, 15 May between 10 am and 12 noon. Everyone is welcome to come and support the players.