Tennis Kenya, France Federation Partner on Junior Pathway Program
Tennis Kenya has entered a strategic partnership with the French Tennis Federation to establish international development pathways for junior players, in a move that deepens sports cooperation between Kenya and France.
The agreement, announced in Nairobi, centers on player exchanges, coaching education and infrastructure development, with the aim of positioning the Kenyan capital as a regional hub for tennis development.
As part of the rollout, a group of under-16 players, including Aum Chandarana and Jeff Okuku, will travel to France for training and competition exposure, marking the program’s first international exchange.
“This partnership is balanced and reciprocal, exchanging talents,” said Arnaud Suquet. “Talents from Kenya will go to France, but young French talents will also come to Kenya.”
Backed by Kenya’s Ministry of Sports and the French Embassy, the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between domestic development structures and the professional circuit, a longstanding constraint for emerging tennis markets.
A key technical component includes a knowledge transfer program focused on clay court development, with a delegation of Kenyan specialists set to undertake a benchmarking visit to Roland-Garros. The objective is to replicate international-standard surfaces locally, expanding Kenya’s ability to host higher-tier competitions.
Tennis Kenya President Wanjii Mbugua said the partnership spans multiple pillars of the federation’s strategy, including player development, coaching and officiating.
“It is our duty as federations to create opportunities for players, coaches and officials,” she said, adding that the exchange will include participation in international junior tournaments in France.
Image by Capital Sports Kenya
The agreement also creates pathways for Kenyan umpires to officiate at French events, broadening technical exposure and strengthening institutional capacity.
French technical experts are expected to travel to Kenya later in 2026 for reciprocal exchanges, as both federations look to build a more integrated development pipeline linking African talent with European training ecosystems.
Source: CSK
