A street sport from Barbados has taken root across Zimbabwe and attracts players from townships to rural areas. Mthandazo Ngwenya started the Zimbabwe Professional Road Tennis Association during 2023 to bring the game to local communities. The sport needs only wooden paddles, a tennis ball, and a small court with a low net. Players compete on surfaces measuring 21 feet long and 10 feet wide with wooden nets standing 8 inches tall. The first person to reach 21 points wins each match.
More than 100 certified players represent every province across the country from Mbare to Mutoko. The local association works with the global Professional Road Tennis Association to grow the sport worldwide. PRTA president Dale Clarke praised Zimbabwe for embracing the street game with such enthusiasm. Ngwenya wants Zimbabwe to become the center of professional Road Tennis across Africa. The sport builds community connections and brings people together through competition.
Road Tennis offers an alternative to expensive traditional tennis that anyone can afford to play. The game creates unity among people of different ages and backgrounds through simple equipment and accessible rules. Players hear wooden paddle sounds echoing through neighborhoods as the sport spreads rapidly. Zimbabwe aims to lead African development of this fast-growing street sport. Road Tennis has officially arrived and continues expanding throughout the nation.
More than 100 certified players represent every province across the country from Mbare to Mutoko. The local association works with the global Professional Road Tennis Association to grow the sport worldwide. PRTA president Dale Clarke praised Zimbabwe for embracing the street game with such enthusiasm. Ngwenya wants Zimbabwe to become the center of professional Road Tennis across Africa. The sport builds community connections and brings people together through competition.
Road Tennis offers an alternative to expensive traditional tennis that anyone can afford to play. The game creates unity among people of different ages and backgrounds through simple equipment and accessible rules. Players hear wooden paddle sounds echoing through neighborhoods as the sport spreads rapidly. Zimbabwe aims to lead African development of this fast-growing street sport. Road Tennis has officially arrived and continues expanding throughout the nation.
