Guy Orly Iradukunda is making his family and country proud. The young Burundian tennis player is the first Burundian toparticipate in the Youth Olympic Games and the second one to play a Global Tennis tournament.He recentlyparticipated in tennis matches at the Nanjing Summer Youth Olympic Games, from August 17 to 24. He lost all of them.-By Lorraine Josiane Manishatse
Guy Orly Iradukunda ©Iwacu
For Guy Orly Iradukunda, participating in the Olympics that gathers the world’s best players is a great step. “Despite my defeat it is a pleasure for me to represent my native country in the Tennis Olympic Games. I am very proud because it is only the second time that Burundi is represented in such a global competition.”
Assani Murisho, Iradukunda’s coach indicates that Guy Orly is ranked 142th by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). After the Nanjing competition he is moved from ITF junior rankings to senior rankings. According to Murisho, his player encountered some challenges during these Olympics. “He didn’t take part in anytraining games the week before we arrived in Nanjing. After arrival, he went straight into the competition. When the competition was over, he won all the training matches he played in Nanjing. That shows that he does have a good chance of winning.”
Iradukunda argues that it would be better if athletes and their coaches arrive at the competition venue early, so that they have enough time to trainon the ground and get used to the climate. The young Burundian who lives and works at the International Tennis Federation training center in Morocco at Casablanca was heroically defeated at the Nanjing Summer Youth Olympic Games.In the singles match, he was defeated by the Slovakian Martin Basco, in two rounds (3-6, 3-6). In the doubles match he played with South-African Lloyd Harris, against the Polish duo Majchrzak-Janzielinski. The score was (3-1, 1-6). In the mixed doubles match with the Namibian woman Lesedi Sheya Jacobs, the African representatives were defeated by the higher ranked Ioana Duca (Romania) and Matias Zuka (Argentine), in 6-3, 6-1.
Starting in September Iradukunda will train in the USA. It is a wonderful opportunity for him that will allow him to further his career, his coach says. “He will compete at a high-performance level that will allow him to improve his ranking and increase his chances of qualification for the Rio Olympic Games of 2016.”
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