Wheelchair tennis ace, Nyasha Mharakurwa, is hopeful of bettering his last year’s performance this season.

Picture by Eugene Majuru

Fresh from being crowned Zimbabwe’s sportsperson of the year with a disability for the fourth time on the trot, Mharakurwa told The Zimbabwean early this week that he was already hard at training in his University of Johannesburg base, in preparation for the coming season.

“I always aim higher than the previous year and this year is not different,” said the 29-year-old wheelchair tennis ace.

“The first task will be to try and get a sponsor for more international tournaments because without that, I may not do as much as I have aimed this year and all my hard work might not be as rewarding in terms of international rankings. I will not give up though.” Failing to get a sponsor will mean he is restricted to the six annual South African tournaments, yet his main aim is to tour Europe for tournaments that could see him reclaim his place in the sun.

“I will keep working hard with the hope that something might come soon. Getting a sponsor will enable me to plan properly on which international tournaments I will participate in to improve my rankings,” said the player, currently ranked 81st in the world in the singles category and 111th in the doubles.

At his peak between 2009 and 2010, he soared to 39th in the singles and 56th in the doubles categories – a feat he wants to surpass should he be able to participate in the International Tennis Federation tournaments that are predominantly held in Europe.

Mharakurwa did not have a flawless last season by his usual standards, but he still managed to fulfil his short-term dream of participating in the London 2012 Olympic Games, which he had set in 2010. - The Zimbabwean