Okutoyi sails to All-African Games quarterfinals as men's teams falter

Angella Okutoyi, the first Black African to win a Junior Grand Slam, edged closer to bagging her first All-African Games medal after seeing off Egypt's Mema Mostafa in straight sets on Monday to book her quarterfinal spot in the ongoing event being held in Accra, Ghana.

The 2022 Wimbledon Girls' Doubles champion beat Mostafa 6-3, 6-3 on Monday to keep alive her hopes of a medal.

On Sunday, the 20-year-old youngster triumphed over Zambia’s Naomi Chileshe in the second round as she stamped her authority with a straight set 6-3, 6-1 victory to ease her way into the round of 16.

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She was supposed to kick off her campaign on Saturday but the Auburn University sophomore was given a bye into the round of 32 where she overpowered Zambian Chileshe.

At the moment, Okutoyi is considered among the greatest tennis players in the country. In July 2022, Okutoyi became her country's first ITF World Tennis Tour singles tournament winner in the ITF W15 event held in Monastir, Tunisia.

She added to that success on home soil in Nairobi in December 2023, beating Germany's former world number 250 Lena Papadakis to claim her first ITF W25 title. Okutoyi is keen to replicate the same results in Ghana.

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Elsewhere, the men's team faltered in the ongoing games as only one Kenyan, Kevin Cheruiyot, qualified for the round of 16 after beating South African Leo Tyrone 6-0 6-2.

Cheruiyot started off his campaign on the right foot after beating Ugandan Trevor Solomon 6-1 6-2.

Others failed to break through past the round of 32. Ishmael Changawa lost 3-6 2-6 to Moroccan Benchetrit Jean as Albert Njogu went down 1-6 1-6 to Egyptian Abdelmasieh Sobhy. Ibrahim Kibet lost to another Egyptian Mahmoud Ali 3-6 2-6.

In other sports, Brian Omwando and Alikhan Kazia won a gold medal for Kenya after winning the pickleball men’s doubles.

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