NDINAWE SIMPELWE
Ndola
ZAMBIA’S most dominant twins in tennis, Isabel and Christabel Chisongo, have continued to be the country’s flag carriers after coming out as the bestperforming duo during the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour J30 held in Lusaka.
The two-week tournament brought together junior players from across the globe as they fought to earn points that would earn them entry into the world tour competitions.
An ITF J30 tournament is an entry-level international tennis event on the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior, designed for players under 18 years old.
The “30” in the name represents the number of ITF World Ranking points awarded to the singles champion.
It serves as the primary stepping stone for young tennis players to build international match experience and enter the global ranking.
Zambia was ably represented by top junior players including Mukangwa Siame, Yula Ulendo, Isabel, Christabel, Emmanuella Kapembwa, Kabisekela Kapembwa, Shamira Chitoshi and Kayla Muimo in the women’s category.
The males’ category had Emmanuel Simfukwe, Luyando Kalebi, Elisha Silumbwe, Mapepo Mukuka, Elijah Kapini, Nathan Nthwala and Kombe Mabo Jr.
The ZTA was left impressed with the Zambian players, most of whom were making their first appearance at such a high-level competition.
Zambia just returned to international competitions after a 10-year absence due to failure to pay affiliation fees.
But despite lacking experience at this level, the Zambian players showed their quality with impressive wins in the singles, where Mabo Jr, Siame, Muimo, Nalwizya and others picked victories but were not enough to see them reach the finals.
However, in the women’s doubles, the Chisongo sisters ensured that Zambia ended the tournament with something worth taking home after finishing as runners-up against a pair of Namibia’s Joanivia Bezuidenhout and Zimbabwe’s Rutendo Tom.
The Zambians put up a spirited fight against the highly experienced pair to lose 6-2, 6-3.
The Chisongo sisters were the only Zambian players to reach a championship match during the second week of the international junior tournament.
Despite missing out on the trophy, ZTA praised the twins for their determination and fighting spirit, saying they made the country proud with their performances.
“The Chisongo sisters have shown that Zambia’s junior tennis programme is producing players capable of competing against the best in the region. Their performances throughout the tournament captured the hearts of tennis fans and demonstrated the bright future of Zambian tennis,” the association said.
The finals appearance capped an impressive fortnight for Christabel and Isabel, who have over the years dominated locally, and after this tournament ZTA is confident the pair will be ready to step on the international scene.
The association further commended the sisters for their teamwork and commitment, noting that their achievement could inspire more young players to take up the sport.
ZTA also thanked local fans for their support during the two-week tournament, saying the atmosphere created by the home crowd played a significant role in motivating.
