History is being made in Cameroon as the nation hosts its first ITF World Tennis Tour junior events – a significant moment for Fédération Camerounaise de Tennis and youth development there.

In fact, the country is staging back-to-back J5 tournaments in Yaoundé – Cameroon’s capital city – with the second ongoing and concluding tomorrow, with an exciting finale in store as players battle for silverware and ranking points.

The first event was held from 1-6 November and saw Cameroon’s Stad Fani Fanyi Nformi star, with the 17-year-old claiming her maiden junior titles with victory in both singles and doubles. In the latter, she teamed up with fellow home favourite Charnelle Fozo.

Elsewhere, France’s Octave Caillat topped the podium in the boys’ singles, while in doubles Polish duo Patryk Palyszko and Michal Wlodarczyk defeated Cameroon’s Okala Hagoua Valentin Brayan Alexis and Hermann Nsahno Ndonfack in the final.

There is again Cameroonian representation in the semi-finals of the second J5 Yaoundé event, although there is of course a wider context to the staging of these competitions, with the hope being their impact can be profound and wide-ranging.

“Cameroon is very happy to host these tournaments and they come at the right time for the nation,” Thierry Ntwali, the ITF’s Development Officer for East and Central Africa, tells itftennis.com.

“The organisation of them in Yaoundé is really excellent news for Cameroonian and Central African tennis. The competitions bring back the prowess of Cameroonian players’ performance.”

In terms of tennis culture, activity and performance levels, Cameroon is the strongest nation within Central Africa and has been for many years, while it is country which places considerable emphasis upon development programmes.

Some promising players have been produced and nurtured as a result. Anna Lorie Lemongo Toumbou, for instance, attends the ITF/CAT African Development Centre in Casablanca and was earlier this year ranked a career-high No. 150 in the junior world rankings. Ntwali is optimistic about the future.  

“It is very important to note that in the past, the 1980s and 1990s, Cameroon was very fertile land for African tennis with many talented players,” he said. “Zacharie Mougnol was the greatest player of all-time from Cameroon and the likes of Pierre Moudourou, Angelin Mvogo and Lionel Kemajou also brought glory to the nation.

“Nowadays, we see the creation of new tennis academies in Cameroon and private initiatives such as the Oyebog Tennis Academy. Under the impetus of the Junior Tennis Initiative, these really serve as a catalyst to popularise tennis in Cameroon and provide opportunities for youth at a continental level.”

It is a sentiment shared by Eric Tanga, who is the tournament director for both Yaoundé events. He believes the appetite of junior players, who are either competing at J5 Yaoundé or aspire to contest similar tournaments in future, will be boosted significantly, which bodes very well indeed.

“It is very exciting for Cameroon to host these tournaments,” said Tanga. “To see young Cameroonian players working hard and their parents happy that their children are playing such events, it is a dream come true.

“The tournaments are very important, players have come from all regions of the country and they will be tested against players from abroad. Homegrown players will experience new things and fresh challenges.

“For sure, after these tournaments, tennis will not be the same in Cameroon.”

Two further J5 tournaments are scheduled to take place in Cameroon next year. The events will be staged in Douala, from 5-10 April and 12-17 April 2022, at the Oyebog Tennis Academy.

Further information, including draws and results, from the J5 Yaoundé held from 1-6 November is available here.

Further information, including draws and results, from the J5 Yaoundé event currently taking place is available here.