Kenya’s Angella Okutoyi took a huge step towards qualifying for a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event after winning women’s singles gold at the African Games in Accra, Ghana.

The 20-year-old defeated Lamis Elhussein Abdelaziz, of Egypt, 6-4 6-2 in the title match to claim an ITF place at Paris 2024 via continental qualification.

That spot, however, will only be secured if Okutoyi’s WTA ranking is within the Top 400 on 10 June – the ranking cut-off date for the Olympic Tennis Event.

The current world No. 532 still has work to do then to assure herself of a spot in Paris - at which she could become the first Kenyan woman in history to play at an Olympic Tennis Event.

“Qualifying for the Olympics means so much to me. It has been my dream since I was young,” said Okutoyi. “Since I first held a racket I’ve been watching Olympics on TV, so I’m just super happy to be able to accomplish that today.

“This will mean so much for tennis in Kenya and for the African continent. I’m happy that I was able to win today and I just want to keep going and going.

“I feel happy that I have qualified… but not qualified yet because my ranking isn’t there yet,” she added, hastily. “As of now I’m trying to see if I can play more [ITF] tournaments to up-and-up my ranking to see myself into the Olympics.”

Whatever the next few months hold, Okutoyi can be delighted with her efforts in Ghana – not least in recording her first Top 100 win in the semi-finals, where she defeated Mayar Sherif in an epic encounter lasting over four hours.

Her triumph marks the latest in her series of trailblazing achievements for Kenyan tennis.

Last July, Okutoyi became the first Kenyan player to win a singles title on the ITF World Tennis Tour, and the first Kenyan to win any professional tennis event in 29 years.

In 2022, she won the girls’ doubles title at Wimbledon (alongside Rose Nijkamp), having previously become the first girl from her nation to post a junior Grand Slam match-win at that January’s Australian Open.

Her achievements are all-the-more astonishing given her remarkably tough upbringing - on which she opened up to ITFWorld magazine in Spring 2022.

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“My mum passed away giving birth to me and my twin sister and ever since I have lived with my grandmother, who is a single mum,” Okutoyi told ITFWorld.

“It was really hard. At that time also, her daughter was sick and had problems with her lungs which required oxygen. She had to use all her money to take care of her daughter and at times worked many jobs.

“We started with nothing. Other children would laugh at us and call us names. We became the joke, but we kept our heads down and did our fighting on court.

“When I started playing tennis, it was hard and I remember there were times I would play and wouldn’t have eaten the whole of that day. I slept hungry for consecutive nights, with water the only thing I’d have all day.

“I come from a very humble background, and it was really tough for my grandmother, but she kept going, was really strong and was always supportive. I take my courage and strength from her.”

Read the full ITFWorld interview with Okutoyi here

Okutoyui, who is trending in the direction of the upper levels of the sport, first encountered tennis through the ITF's Junior Tennis Initiative, a key development programme which provides opportunities for children around the world to pick up a racket for the first time.

She continued to received support from the ITF and Tennis Kenya, and was a member of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Team when she won the Wimbledon doubles crown in 2022. 

Zimbabwe's Benjamin Lock takes on Moez Echargui, of Tunisia, will bid to secure their spot at Paris 2024 when they go head-to-head in the final of the men's event at the African Games later on Thursday.