• The brothers received an invitation to play in the 2019 TEN-PRO Global Junior Tour held at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain which brought together highly talented boys and girls from all over the world.
• We will continue to be their number one cheerers as an institution during this six year period of their new sports journey — Coetzee
Virani brothers, Zayyan and Raqeem have been forced to delay the start of their six-year tennis scholarships at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The two, pupils at Crawford International School are naturally disappointed but are still confident that their dreams of becoming top tennis players will materialise in the near future.
The brothers are multi-talented and excel in hockey and football as well. Zayyan, 11 is the captain of both the Crawford Under 11 hockey and football teams while Raqeem, 12, is also a well grounded player and helped his team win the Private and International Prep Schools Sports Association (PIPSSA) Under 13 Boys Hockey Tournament in February.
In March last year, the two boys topped in the 12 and Under East Africa Team Championship that was held at the Nairobi Club. The brothers were part of a three member team representing Kenya in the final event of the third edition of the Africa Junior Teams competitions in Morocco which took place in September, where they finished sixth.
The brothers received an invitation to play in the 2019 TEN-PRO Global Junior Tour held at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain which brought together highly talented boys and girls from all over the world.
Raqeem had the misfortune to be sidelined by tennis elbow, but Zayyan his category.
Jenny Coetzee, the Managing Director of Crawford International School said: “Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we are confident that Raqeem and Zayyan will be able to travel to Spain and pursue their scholarships as this is a lifetime opportunity for them. We will continue to be their number one cheerers as an institution during this six year period of their new sports journey.”
“At the moment the brothers, together with their sister Inaaya Virani, who is in year four and a budding athlete as well, are continuing with their studies at Crawford by attending online classes like the rest of the students as we await the easing of travel restrictions,” concluded Jenny.