Feature: Kenya's little promising player rising with family support
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E-mail Xinhua, April 11, 2014
Graceful serves, scintillating ricochets, clever retorts, balance power and strength tinged with aura of professionalism are in abundance on eight-year old Shakira Varese.
At the close of the practice session, frills, thrills and spills of excitement and superb sportsmanship had gushed out, giving junior tennis a refreshing lease of identity and unraveling to the world the rare dazzle of upcoming wonder.
Her father Leo Varese told Xinhua in Nairobi about his commitment towards his daughter. He said he is ready to do all that is humanly possible to enable Shakira realize her dream of one day being a champion.
"At the moment it is all about exposure, not about winning. After the experience, everything will fit perfectly in place and winning will come naturally," said Leo Varese.
At eight years, Shakira has no worthy opponent of her age group and has to contend with playing against older players, some almost twice her age, to make up for the deficit.
Leo pledges to enter her in all the Kenya Lawn Tennis Association (KLTA) tournaments.
Shakira entered her first Under-10 tournament in February and won all games in her class where she beat much older girls. In mid March, she came second in her age group at the Elgon Tournament held at Nairobi Gymkhana in the Under-10 category.
Shakira started playing tennis at the Academy aged three and a half years in the Tiny Tots class under the legendary coach Jim Davies who opened the facility in 1987.
Last January, Shakira bagged the title of "Most promising player" during the annual Coca Cola Junior tournament where she was also the youngest entrant.
The Year 3 pupil at Braeside School located in Nairobi's leafy suburb of Lavington, practices three times a week under the tutelage of coaches Jaglib Barakat and Ezekiel Tarus.
"Tennis is not a cheap sport if one factors all the expenses it entails. Shakira's practice sessions cost me on average 300 U.S dollars monthly."
Born in Uruguay 43 years ago, Leo has lived in Kenya since early 1980s and is a naturalized Kenyan citizen.
After going through education at Brookhouse School and the International School of Kenya (ISK), Leo and his younger brother David currently run a transport company of a fleet of cars for hire.
Leo is fluent in English, Spanish and Swahili, whereas Shakira and her brother Adriano (5) only pick up on their Spanish whenever their grandmother comes visiting from Uruguay.
"My mother remained in Uruguay to take care of the family business after my father's demise some time back. She will be making her yearly visit to Kenya soon."
Leo is also two-time Kenya National Rally Champion in the two wheel drive class - a feat he achieved in 2008 and 2010.
He won the second round KCB rally series; Machakos Rally in March this year with co-driver Kigo Kareithi and hopes to do all races this year.
"JD Academy is our second home because it is here where we spend most of our time. Shakira even forgoes celebrating her birthday even when it falls on a practice day."
Leo advises parents to let their children concentrate on one discipline so that they do not lose focus.
He says the fact that parents have allowed their children to engage in many sports was the undoing of Kenyan players during the recently-concluded Africa Junior Championships that ended in Nairobi and in which Kenya performed poorly. Endi
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