Garanganga targets January return

Sport
ZIMBABWE tennis star Takanyi Garanganga is targeting a return to the professional circuit early next year as he continues his recovery after undergoing a surgical procedure on his knee.

ZIMBABWE tennis star Takanyi Garanganga is targeting a return to the professional circuit early next year as he continues his recovery after undergoing a surgical procedure on his knee.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

The 30-year-old, who is affectionately known as Garwe, suffered a serious knee injury during a training camp in the lead-up to Zimbabwe’s crucial Davis Cup World Group II playoff tie against Syria played in Harare in March.

Garanganga was replaced by young Mehluli Sibanda on the eve of the crucial tie which Zimbabwe won 3-1 at Harare Sports Club, a few weeks before all sporting activities around the world, including tennis events, were cancelled due to the spread of Covid-19.

While the break in international sport since March might have been frustrating for most professional athletes, for Garanganga it was an opportunity to benefit from the extra recovery time.

“So I was injured in March during training camp of the Davis Cup against Syria. It was a degenerative tear of my meniscus. I had to get a knee arthroscopy. I also had a hole in my femur bone of the same knee so they did a micro-fracturing procedure to help it recover. It’s a nine-month recovery process,” Garanganga told The Sports Hub in an interview.

Prior to the injury, Garanganga had begun the season with his sights firmly set on earning enough ranking points to qualify regularly for ATP Tour tournaments, but after missing almost the entire season he is now targeting a return to the court in January.

“Yes, earlier in the year I had a good training block to adjust my game to get to the level I needed. But then during the Covid-19-induced break, that is when I got surgery so either way I may not have been able to execute those targets because of the knee arthroscopy.

“At this point I have been invited to play an event in Serbia and another in South Africa. I haven’t committed to any yet, so I would be looking at having another good training block in November/December and start the pro circuit in January 2021,” he said.

Although Garanganga has not been able to compete on the circuit since resumption of tennis events around the world in July due to the knee injury and subsequent corrective surgery since March, he has been keeping himself busy off the court.

In addition to the rehabilitation, the former African Junior Champion has also been doing his university studies while laying the foundation for the setting-up of a social development programme targeting the youths through tennis.

“Recently I have been working on my recovery from surgery mainly doing rehab. Additionally I have also been taking online university courses and starting a new project called Total Greatness International (TGI), a non-profit organisation, which aims to promote youth through equipping them with life skills through education, skills development and leadership.”

Garanganga said he was motivated to set up the new initiative by the desire to provide opportunities for local young players who have been starved of regular tournaments locally.

“I just felt that there are not enough tournaments being played in Zimbabwe. So I wanted to help in that area. Then, of course, from playing tennis tournaments I have developed many skills in life. Beyond the events, I am working with a team that would also help youths develop different skills and leadership and I felt TGI would be a good platform for that,” he said.

Garanganga, who in 2014 reached a career-high ATP world ranking of 288, has so far won nine ITF World Tennis Tour (formerly ITF Futures) singles titles, one of them coming on home soil last year when he won the third leg of the Old Mutual Futures Series.

His most notable tournament success was winning the gold medal in the men’s singles at the 2011 All Africa Games (now African Games) in Maputo, Mozambique.