Eritrea faces significant challenges in developing tennis due to limited internet access and no mobile data. The country’s internet is mainly available in government offices, hotels, and cafes in the capital, Asmara. Internet penetration is slightly above one percent, complicating daily operations for players, coaches, officials, and administrators. Loading a basic search engine can take over ten minutes.
Despite these obstacles, the Eritrean Tennis Federation has made progress. According to the 2024 ITF Global Tennis Report, player participation has increased over five years, and the number of coaches has doubled from six to twelve. Eritrea actively participates in the ITF Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI), encouraging children’s involvement in tennis.
While there are no major performance breakthroughs yet, Eritrea now has five players ranked at the 14-and-under level by the Confederation of African Tennis. Thierry Ntwali, ITF’s Development Officer for Central and East Africa, praised the national association’s efforts: “The work being done by the national association is exceptionally impressive.”
Internet issues hinder access to resources like the ITF Academy or filing online JTI reports. Selam Ghirmai, General Secretary of the Eritrean Tennis Federation, often works late hours to improve connectivity through EriTel’s night package costing $100 per month.
Yohannes Tesfay, President of the Eritrean Tennis Federation and owner of Eritrea FedEx, also deals with connectivity problems but strives to enhance communication for international programs. Board member Senai Tesfayesus works irregular hours as a civil engineer at Eritel to download coaching materials from ITF Academy.
Ntwali highlighted: “People who do not live in Eritrea probably take for granted regular internet access.” He acknowledged that private sector sponsorship is non-existent and activities rely on grants from various organizations.
The situation underscores ongoing efforts to ensure tennis continues enriching lives globally.