Theron (13) takes on Africa’s best in Nairobi

Namibian tennis prodigy Johan Theron Jr (13) has qualified for the African Junior Championships (AJC) and is set to take on players from 15 countries from Monday to Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya.Africa’s 10th-ranked under-14 tennis player left for Nairobi on Monday to compete in the tournament organised by the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) in partnership with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Tennis Kenya. He arrived ahead of the warm-up matches that kicked off on Wednesday and will run until tomorrow.Flying Namibian flag highHis outstanding performance at December’s ITF/CAT events in Botswana and Mozambique propelled his ranking from 34th in Africa to 10th when he scooped seven trophies across all competitions.Theron Jr., son of former national tennis player and veteran coach Johan Theron, is the only player representing Namibia at the event, which is an exclusive competition reserved for the top 24 tennis players on the continent.The Johan Theron Tennis School pupil will be sponsored by Tecnifibre and Leojo Chemicals at the event.Having made history in November as the country’s youngest player invited to the Namibia Tennis Association’s (NTA) prestigious Senior Masters Championships, Theron told this publication that he feels confident and proud to fly the Namibian flag high in Kenya.“I feel well-prepared, as I spent more than a week in Stellenbosch, South Africa, at Coppini Tennis Academy training with some of the top juniors in the country,” he said.He added that playing against the best in Africa in his age group is a privilege, and he aims to improve his ranking at the championships.Next big stepsTurning 13 in December opened new doors for Theron Jr., allowing him to take the next big step in his tennis journey and join the ITF under-18 tournaments.“I have been using every tournament as a stepping stone to sharpen my skills for this tournament, as one must be 13 to be eligible to play. I will make my debut in April on the ITF under-18 circuit in Botswana, followed by two home tournaments in Windhoek at the end of the month,” he noted.Anyone interested in sponsoring Theron Jr. or assisting with his expenses can reach out to his parents at (jtts69@gmail.com).- mariud@nsh.com.na

Theron (13) takes on Africa’s best in Nairobi

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