Tennis Kenya President James Kenani is hopeful that the construction of the modern courts commissioned by the International Tennis Federation(ITF) President David Haggerty in April 2018 will begin this year.
Haggerty was the guest of honour as the federation broke ground for a close to a billion worth ITF certified training centre at Kasarani where 24 courts were to be constructed.
Eight out of the 24 are set to be clay made with the rest being classified as hard courts.
Despite the project being nodded by President Uhuru Kenyatta who hosted Haggerty and a delegation from KT, Confederation of African Tennis(Cat) and the region at State House, the works are yet to start.
Kenani is banking on the renewed vigour within the Ministry of Sports for the work to begin. Kenani said ITF was willing to wire their annual financial commitment towards the project in line with the contract signed during the groundbreaking ceremony.
"The project has delayed due to several factors but we have managed to flatten all hurdles. We had challenges in the drawings which were rejected by the government and ITF but after consulting, we did another one which the duo approved. We did everything as guided but we could not secure the funds. The Ministry requested that we present our budget to them in writing. We have hope this time around they will get us the funds for work to begin, " said the veteran administrator
Kenani further opened up of his wish to have the project completed by 2022 and consequently push the ITF to hand Kenya the hosting rights for the global Annual General Meeting(AGM).
Should KT succeed in their application which Kenani said had been verbally presented to Haggerty's office, the country will be the first to host the AGM in recent times.
The retired banker said the 2022 deadline will be the perfect birthday card for the federation which will be celebrating a century in its existence in the country.
" We will be turning 100 years in 2022 and nothing will make it better than opening the courts at Kasarani. I have requested ITF to grant us the opportunity to host the global AGM that year where more than 100 countries will participate. It will be even better if we host the AGM and open the country simultaneously, " he said
