Every country faces challenges in providing tennis facilities, but Eritrea’s situation stands out. Despite limited internet connectivity, the Eritrean Tennis Federation has made strides in promoting the sport. Internet access is mainly restricted to government offices and certain public places in Asmara, with mobile data unavailable. This limits communication within the tennis community.
Despite these hurdles, the federation has increased player participation and doubled the number of coaches since 2019. The ITF Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) has been pivotal in introducing children to tennis, indicating a promising future for participation rates.
Eritrea now boasts five players with Confederation of African Tennis rankings at the 14-and-under level for the first time. “The work being done by the national association is exceptionally impressive,” remarked Thierry Ntwali, ITF’s Development Officer for Central and East Africa.
Internet issues make accessing resources like the ITF Academy challenging. Selam Ghirmai, General Secretary of the Eritrean Tennis Federation, uses a night internet package from EriTel to circumvent these issues, though it costs $100 USD monthly—a significant expense given local salaries.
Yohannes Tesfay, President of the federation and owner of Eritrea FedEx, leads efforts to complete necessary paperwork for international programs despite connectivity problems. Board member Senai Tesfayesus plays a crucial role by downloading materials during off-peak hours.
Thierry Ntwali highlighted that people outside Eritrea might not appreciate how difficult it is without regular internet access or mobile data services. He commended those keeping tennis alive under such conditions: “With private sector sponsorship non-existent…a big well done to the team there.”
These efforts underscore global endeavors to keep tennis accessible worldwide.