A 16-year-old boy from Burundi has been making history at Wimbledon, becoming the first player from the east African country to participate in the world-famous tennis championships. Hassan Ndayishimiye was in tears on court after making his Wimbledon debut, overcome with the occasion and his historic achievement.
Born in Bujumbura, the capital and main port of the landlocked republic on Lake Tanganyika, Ndayishimiye is the son of a tennis coach and started playing at the age of five. "He's one of the most promising juniors from Africa, especially that part of Africa," said Isabelle Gemmel, administrator of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) juniors department.
"It's a fantastic thing for his country and a big deal for the national association," she told AFP. Ndayishimiye has received support from the Grand Slam Development Fund, established by the ITF in 1986, which helps increase opportunities for talented junior players from developing nations. Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, the French Open girls' champion, has also come through the scheme. Funded by the four tennis majors, the scheme pays for the ITF-Grand Slam Touring Team, which Ndayishimiye is a part of.
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