ENTA LAUNCH JTI AT LOBAMBA SCHOOLS

MBABANE – The Eswatini National Tennis Association (ENTA) is serious about tennis development.

The association is now targeting to inculcate the sport at grassroot level and it is implementing the Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) Programme. ENTA Secretary General Nqaba Mkhaliphi, tennis coach Jerry Fears and JTI Programme Coordinator Bongani Kunene, were yesterday at Elangeni and Lobamba National Primary Schools to launch the programme. It targets toddlers from the age of about six to 12 where the association aims at introducing the basics of the tennis sport. Primary schools that have already had the programme implemented and running include Sifundzani, Annadale, St Mark’s, Living Waters, Khanyisile, Kontjingila, Mhlume, Baha’i, Entfonjeni, Tjaneni and Ezulwini Community. The JTI programme outline indicates that Sifundzani, Khanyisile, Mhlume, Baha’I and Ezulwini Catholic all have two tennis courts. Meanwhile, Annadale, St Mark’s, Living Waters, Kontjingila, Enjabulweni High and Tjaneni each have one court.

Programme

There are also satellite centres used for the JTI programme and they include Mhlume Tingwenyeni Club with two tennis courts, Tjaneni with one, UNESWA with four courts, OlympAfrica with six tennis courts, Ezulwini with two courts, Coronation Park with one tennis court, the Mbabane Club with three courts and Hlati with one court. There are 11 tennis registered teachers for the programmes at the different schools and 22 qualified tennis coaches who attended the ITF Tennis Course instructed by a Botswana Development Officer, who was assigned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Tapiwa Musonga.

Activities

The JTI activities include the Inter-Schools Mini Tennis Tournament, National Mini Tournament, ITF Training Camps, ITF Competitions, the Mpumalanga Exchange Programme and the Mozambique Exchange Programme. The programme has its strengths and weaknesses. Among its strengths, is the fact that it is up and running. There are schools and centres where it is implemented, there are teachers who conduct the programme at schools, regular mini competitions and it enjoys the support of the Swaziland Building Society among other items.
Notable weaknesses of the programme include the poor management of equipment by schools and satellite centre, there is no ranking system put in place, there is no administration office and the performance on ITF competition is not good, among other items.

The JTI programme outline highlights one of the possible solutions as the fact that tennis leadership was capable of influencing significance involvement of the government in the development of the sport, particularly the construction of tennis centres. It also touches on the facilitation of advanced education for coaches of the sport

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