The world of tennis has seen shocked these days by a viral image in an ITF tournament held in NairobiKenya. It was a W35, a circuit usually played by young and promising tennis players who are one step away from making the leap to professionalism. The Egyptian Hajar Abdelkader He participated with an invitation, and the video is devastating. He doesn’t know how to serve, he doesn’t know where to place himself in the rest, it is evident that he doesn’t know how to play tennis, at least at a minimum level to be able to compete. Its rival, the German Lorena Schaedelnumber 1,026 in the world, won, logically, 6-0 and 6-0, in a match that lasted 37 minutes. Abdelkader only added three points, two doubles and a forehand outside the rival. Of the 31 times he served, He committed 20 double faults.
The big question is: how did a person who doesn’t know how to play tennis get to play in an official tournament? The Egyptian Tennis Federation ignored the player in a statement. “In reference to the player Hajar Abdelkader, of Egyptian nationality, who participated in one of the international tournaments held in Kenya and whose participation in said tournament clarification is requested, we want to clarify that is not registered with the Egyptian Tennis Federation and does not appear on any of our official lists of players,” they say in a statement.
Kenya’s explanation
The hot potato, therefore, passed to Kenya, which also issued a statement. “The Kenya Tennis Federation is aware of the concern generated by the participation of Egyptian tennis player Hajar Abdelkader in the ITF W35 tournament in Nairobi following the circulation of a video on social media that has raised doubts about her level of play. Abdelkader was guaranteed an invitation to the second week of the tournament after submitting an application and flew out on Tuesday morning. The spot became available after the original recipient of the main draw invitation withdrew at short noticesince he chose to participate in the previous phase. At that moment Abdelkader She was the only player who had requested an invitationand the decision was made with the information received and with the objective of maintain a complete and balanced draw to support the growth of tennis in Africa“, they explain. “As a result of what happened, the Kenya Tennis Federation recognizes that this invitation should not have been granted. The federation has taken note of this episode and will ensure that something like this does not happen again. “Tennis Kenya remains committed to the fairness, transparency and integrity of the competition, as well as to the development of tennis in Kenya, East Africa and the entire continent,” they add.
Too many shadows in an issue in which the most affected is tennis as a sport.
