BNC shines at School League Tennis Champs

The Bernhard Nordkamp Centre (BNC) won three of the six trophies on offer at the Namibia Tennis Association’s School League National Championships on Saturday. 

BNC, an after-school programme run by volunteer Mary Beth Gallagher and coached by Clifford Ngunovandu, won the boys and girls u12 titles as well as the girls u10 title, while Eros Primary School won the boys u14; Emma Hoogenhout the girls u14; and Walvis Bay Private School the boys u10 title. 

The championships brought together the top school teams from the Khomas and Erongo regions to compete in the under 10, u12 and u14 age groups. 

Held at the Central Tennis Club on Saturday, the event formed part of the ITF NTA development programme and serves as a stepping stone for young players in Namibia.

Each team consisted of four players and one reserve, competing on a team-based format. This year, the u14 teams played on full-sized courts with green dot balls, which are designed to be slower and lower-bouncing to help players transition to higher levels of competition. 

Matches were decided on a best-of-10-point format, with teams playing four singles and two doubles matches. Each win earned the team three points. The competition followed a round robin format, allowing all teams to compete against each other.

The winning teams in both the girls’ and boys’ categories for each age group were awarded trophies and medals. The NTA Primary School League serves as an excellent platform for young players to experience competitive tennis. The next step for these budding athletes is to participate in National Junior Tournaments, where they can earn ranking points and work their way toward representing Namibia in their respective age groups.

School league coordinator, coach SP van Wyk, expressed his excitement with Walvis Bay joining the national competition for the first time this year. He emphasised the importance of expanding the league to include more regions and schools in the future, aiming to grow the sport by building a larger base of young players. Schools interested in joining the 2025 competition are encouraged to contact Van Wyk at 081 286 8031.