Rising Shropshire tennis star Gwen Klu called up to play for Ghana in the Billie Jean King Cup

Rising Shropshire tennis star Gwen Klu has been called up to play for Ghana in the Billie Jean King Cup. The talented 16-year-old, who lives in Telford, is excited to have the opportunity to represent Ghana in the prestigious tournament between national women's tennis teams.

The Ellesmere College student is now looking forward to travelling to Botswana, the host nation, with the tournament taking place between July 13-18.

It's exciting recognition for Gwen - a regular member of Tennis Shropshire's county teams from a young age - as she follows in the footsteps of the world's best tennis players by playing in the Billie Jean King Cup.

Born in England to a Ghanaian father and French mother, Gwen's dad, William, is very proud that his daughter who has dual nationality is representing Ghana.

"Gwen is excited," said William, who also represented Ghana internationally, at volleyball, between 2003 and 2007.

"She has already played for Ghana's junior tennis team at the African Youth Games in Angola last December.

"When we came back, we found out they wanted to invite her again to this time play for the senior team."

Gwen impressed at an ITF junior tournament in Accra, Ghana's capital city, last August, reaching the final after winning four matches, and plans to return to play another ITF junior event in September.

Dad William added Gwen has loved tennis since first picking up a racket at the age of six: "There was a tennis cup at school," he recalled. "She picked up a racket, enjoyed it and from there she continued playing. She's a quick learner and is always improving."

The draw has yet to be made for Group III Africa of the Billie Jean King Cup, with Gwen and her Ghana team mates waiting to find out their opponents.

They will be placed in a group which could also include Algeria, hosts Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia or Zimbabwe. Gwen and Ghana's progress in Botswana will be closely followed in Shropshire, with Stephen Welti, director of tennis at Ellesmere College's Tennis Academy, delighted by Gwen's international call up.

"It's going to be amazing for her, what an experience," said Stephen. "Gwen joined us at Ellesmere Tennis Academy about three and a half years ago. She trains regularly with Eifion Jones, the performance coach here, and spends time with me working on her footwork and also her mental strength.

"She is really strong mentally and is great on and off the court. Gwen is very much a team player and helps bring the others along, which is fantastic.

"She achieved an ITF junior world ranking for the first time last year and was noticed by Ghana after doing well in an ITF tournament in Accra.

"She has two more years here at Ellesmere when she can look to move up the junior world rankings. She will play quite a lot of ITF events, mainly in England, from September, and what she does with Ghana also counts towards that as well."

As well as spending lots of time on court at Ellesmere College, Gwen is a popular member of Telford Tennis & Padel Club, and also trains at Telford Tennis Centre with coach Thomas Debrah. Sarah Downes, the Telford Tennis & Padel Club chair, said: "We are incredibly proud of Gwen's selection to represent Ghana in the Billie Jean King Cup this summer. This is a fantastic achievement and recognition of the hard work, dedication and talent she has shown throughout her tennis journey.

"Gwen is not only an outstanding player but also a valued member of our club. She has been a key player for our ladies' team and remains a regular and popular face at club nights, always supporting and inspiring other members.

"As Telford Tennis & Padel - formerly Wrekin and Telford Tennis Club - we have been delighted to sponsor Gwen's development and watch her progress onto the international stage. Everyone at the club wishes Gwen and the Ghana team every success.”

Mark Wilson, the chair of Tennis Shropshire, has also been impressed by Gwen's continued progress, with her Billie Jean King Cup debut set to come just four months after she helped Shropshire's under-18 girls' team gain promotion in the LTA 18U County Cup. She also played for Shropshire's women's side in both the LTA's Summer and Winter County Cup events last year.

"We are immensely proud of Gwen's achievements," added Mark. "As well as her international duties, she still supports the county, which is lovely.

"Gwen is very popular with everyone who plays tennis with her and is a shining example of what you can achieve.

"She is very talented but also works incredibly hard. I have watched her play for probably the last five years and seeing her confidence and skill level grow has been fantastic."

Pictured: Shropshire tennis player Gwen Klu is heading to Botswana to play for Ghana in the Billie Jean King Cup.

Pictured: Telford Tennis & Padel Club and We Do Tennis have sponsored Gwen Klu, presenting her with a cheque for £250 and club membership respectively. Gwen is pictured with club chair Sarah Downes and Nigel Hunter, director of We Do Tennis.

Pictured: Gwen with Helena, her doubles partner and fellow ITF world ranked junior, after training at the Ellesmere College Tennis Academy.