The team received $17,500 from Old Mutual, with the company’s Chief Executive Officer Jonas Mushoso saying they would not accept anything short of qualification to the next stage of the 2015 qualifiers.
Zimbabwe were relegated to the Euro-Africa Zone Group 111, after they were in the World Group in 1998. During that time, the local team stormed the quarter-finals of the competition, after they overcame the likes of Great Britain, Ukraine, Croatia, Australia, and Switzerland.
This time round, Zimbabwe will be represented by Takanyi Garanganga, Benjamin Locke, Mark Fyn as well as captain Martin Dzuwa, who has also been asked to feature in the doubles.
Two teams from the zone will qualify for the Euro-Africa Zone Group 11 and Zimbabwe would have to overcome the likes of Botswana, Namibia, Nigeria, Benin, Mozambique, Madagascar, Rwanda, Algeria, Kenya, and Libya for that ticket to the penultimate stage.
Zimbabwe’s biggest competitors will be Kenya, who boast a proud tradition in African tennis. Tennis Zimbabwe vice president, Martin Locke, said he was confident that this time around the team would make it, after they had been in this group for the past five years.
The tennis team nearly made it last year, but were beaten in the play-offs by hosts Egypt. The two teams were tied at one-all in the singles but Zimbabwe lost out in the doubles.
Post published in: Sport