The Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in Central Western Jabavu, Soweto, came alive over three days from 11 February to 13 February 2022 with over 130 junior participants in the Tennis SA mini tournament from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West.
“We are dedicated to the advancement of tennis in particular and sport in general. We are working very hard to make tennis a mainstream sport in Soweto and other formerly underserved communities and we applaud the efforts made by the City of Johannesburg, including the participants, sponsors and supporters, to making this dream a reality,” said event organiser Sibusiso Thabethe.
The City of Johannesburg has partnered in this initiative by rendering the Arthur Ashe Tennis Courts accessible as a facility for recognising and nurturing potential and talent. The Arthur Ashe Tennis Courts are the pride of Joburg as the only facility in a township with up to 16 tennis courts.
“I am delighted to be here among other players. Tennis has been a major contributor to my self-confidence,” said Lesego Mokgoetsi, an open final player of Arthur Ashe Tennis Club.
“Not only has the tennis court enabled me to exercise my body, but it has also allowed me to exercise my mind; together with my peers, I have opened up about my life and present issues,” Mokgoetsi said.
The eager juniors threw tennis balls in the air, they had their hits and misses, but they were in good spirits, eager to learn more. Dressed in gear, they clutched their tennis rackets tightly as they showed off their ball-hitting techniques.
“Getting children on the tennis court at an early age helps them develop physically, mentally, and socially,” said Thato Moleleki, a coach at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre. There is a certain type of energy and excitement that arises from such an experience while fostering sportsmanship, social skills, and the younger players get to learn lessons inside the borders of a tennis court that they can apply to life outside of the tennis court,” he concluded.
The mini tournament aimed to fast track the introduction of talented youngsters into the sport of tennis and to highlight the power of sport to drive social change. This year there was an opportunity for players to accumulate national ranking points, medals and gifts from the tournament sponsor ProKennex.
Written by Ntombifuthi Junerose Nkosi
13/02/2022