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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter

PETRA College Senior first team boys have won the prestigious national schools tennis championships, the Mim Du Toit, after a stiff competition in the final played on Saturday in Harare.

The boys from Bulawayo emerged champions after drawing 4-4 in the singles, 2-2 in the doubles and winning the reverse doubles 4-0 against the Northern Region tennis giants.

Petra emerged champions in the Southern region after winning against Midlands Christian College 12-0, Christian Brothers College 10-2 and Falcon College 9-3.

 They proceeded to the quarterfinal stage to play against St John’s College whom they edged 7-5 to book a place in the semi-final against St George’s College whom they also overcame 9-3 in a tightly contested affair on September 10 at Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC).

Petra College senior boys tennis team

After narrowly losing 7-5 against Hellenic in their first attempt in the qualifying stage in 2020, Petra emerged victorious two years later in the finals.

Despite being inactive for almost one and a half years due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Brandon Beta-captained Petra College team remained focused on their quest to reach the final and win.

The team comprised 13 players namely Beta (captain), David Ntoto (vice-captain), Mandisi Moyo, Crispin Ntoto, Makanaka Whata, Bradley Beta, Mqhelisi Sithole, Jonathan Stephens, Christopher Kendall, Craig Marijeni, Qhelokuhle Dube, Nico Zevgolis and Daniel Lee but in the competition only eight top players got to play. 

The team’s youngest player is Whata aged 14 who represented the country twice this year in the Africa Junior Championships in Egypt and the Southern African Region Zonal games held in Harare respectively.

The team is managed by Lennon Musekiwa and is coached by Nomvelo Ngwenya.

The tennis team is guided by the teacher in charge of tennis, Mpho Nyoni and she is grateful for the tremendous support which the team gets from the parents support group, the school administrators and her colleagues.

She said her greatest desire is for the Southern Region to have a well-organised league like their counterparts in the north in order to expose the players to a high and competitive level of play.

She also wishes for tennis to return to its former glory and attract sponsors as it used to do.