22 Jul 2015

A serial champion in junior tennis competitions in Botswana, Emmanuel Mabechu started playing tennis because he could not break into the football team at primary school. 

Mabechu’s love for tennis started while he was doing Standard Four at Phikwe Primary School back in 2007.

Fast forward eight years, the 18-year-old young ace from Shashe Mooke near Francistown has won virtually every tennis title at junior (under-18) level in Botswana.

The Selebi Phikwe Senior Secondary School (SPSS) student has ruled secondary schools tennis, winning the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) title on five consecutive occasions between 2011 and 2015. 

He has also won two major junior tournaments, the Botswana Junior Open and the Electric Junction tournaments on more than one occasion. Mabechu’s meteoric rise saw him ranked 15^th at junior level in Africa at one stage.

As he graduates from the junior level to making his mark at senior level, the level headed Mabechu says he is eyeing a successful tennis career. 

“My plan is to establish myself by making an impact in the Botswana Open (senior) championships. My target for this year is to reach the quarter-finals,” Mabechu explained recently after thrashing close friend Tshupo Mbizo to win this year’s BISA boys singles title in Gaborone. 

“I am inspired by Innocent Tidimane’s achievement. I want to succeed in tennis like him because we started playing tennis together in Selebi Phikwe,” Mabechu said.

His immediate dream, he says, is to enrol in a tennis academy where he can further hone his skills. 

Furthermore, he says he wants to start playing in futures tournaments and start earning ranking points at senior level. 

Ambitions aside, Mabechu says he is proud of his exploits at junior level and credits his long-time coach, Wellington Sibanda for the achievements.

“I used to play football, but I quit because it was difficult to break into my primary school team. I then tried traditional dance, but I couldn’t dance. One day my friend Onkabetse Mompati asked me to play tennis and I agreed,” Mabechu narrated how he started playing tennis.

“After two weeks Mr Wellington Sibanda started coaching us, and I really started developing as a player under him. I started playing mini tennis in 2007 and my school qualified for the nationals in the under-10 category,” he explained.

Mabechu says he had a poor showing at the national final, but that motivated him to practice hard so that he could improve as a player.

He says in 2008, he competed in the BCL open junior tournament and was knocked out in the quarter-finals. 

“I also lost in the quarter-finals of the Jwaneng Open and finished third at the Electric Junction. In 2009 I was selected for national team trials, and we went to play in three international tournaments in South Africa. I reached the quarter-finals in the third tournament. I was selected in the national team afterwards,” he said.

He has represented Botswana at various junior tournaments in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Namibia and Egypt, and at the 2011 African Junior Championships. He was also part of the team that performed in home soil during the 2012 Africa Youth Games.

His first title arrived in 2010 when he clinched the Botswana Junior Open competition. He also won the Electric Junction in both the singles and doubles as well as the BCL Open.

His reign as BISA champion started in 2011 when he was doing Form One at Meepong JSS. He has held that crown throughout his secondary school days, but would not defend it next year because he is finishing Form Five this year.

“Besides winning the BISA title, I also won all the local junior tournaments in 2011,” he said.

He also won the Botswana Junior Open and Electric Junction titles in 2013.

“I attribute my success to coach Sibanda who has showed us a lot of support. He appreciates our background and even helps to provide us with equipment,” Mabechu said. Ends