Tennis player disqualified for slapping opponent at Ghana tournament

ACCRA: APRIL. 6 – French tennis player Michael Kouame, who slapped his Ghanaian counterpart Richard Nii Ankrah after their match on Monday, has been disqualified from the ongoing International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior tournament in Ghana, local media reported.

The Executive Board of the Ghana Tennis Federation (GTF) made the decision in consultation with the ITF after reviewing Monday’s incident. GTF executive Henry Boni Quarshie confirmed the decision to local media.

After losing his match, 15-year-old Kouame took his frustration out on Nii Ankrah, slapping him at the net as he approached for the traditional post-match handshake.

Players, guardians, and officials on the court rushed to separate the pair before the situation could escalate.

The footage was captured and posted online, which aroused outrage on social media.

-Xinhua