Plenty of entertaining action is expected to be on show in the Simba Cement Open tennis tournament this week as participants started to keenly pursue honours at Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) courts yesterday.

DGC tennis section has organised the tournament in cooperation with Tanzania Tennis Association (TTA) with a view to promote the sport.

The DGC tennis section’s captain, Inger-Johannes Njau, who is also TTA secretary general, said the four-day event has drawn gender balanced players to compete in singles, doubles, mixed doubles as well as veterans.

“There will be good money prizes for ladies and men’s singles and doubles events and trophies for winners and runners-up in the veterans’ and mixed doubles events,” she said.

She said cash prizes are available from those players who would cruise into the second round and above.

The prize distribution is likely to boost the level of competitiveness as players will strive for better performance to secure the prize money.

“Only those who were born before 1970 are eligible to compete in the veterans’ singles,” insisted Njau.

Advanced junior players have also been encouraged to join the fray and fight for a share of the prizes, apart from improving their game.

“We have many visiting players and are looking forward to a great event,” she said.

Tanga Cement Company sponsors the tournament which has turned out to be a major senior tennis event in recent years.

The tournament will offer local senior tennis players opportunity to display their prowess. They are expected to lay their hands on top honours after failing to impress in the ITF Money Circuit tournament played at the same venue earlier this year.

Ugandan Duncan Mugabe and Kenyans Francis Rogoi and Gilbert Kibet dominated the ITF event in the men’s category as Kenyan Caroline Oduor held sway in the women’s, leaving local players in total disarray.