Lenkopane charts new tennis path
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday February 5, 2022 06:00
Eight years later he jetted off across the Atlantic Ocean to further his studies and play tennis at a higher level in the United States. Lenkopane started playing tennis at Orapa Junior Secondary School in 2014.
The plan was not to stick around for long in the courts only for him to discover that tennis was exactly what he needed. Lenkopane said it was easy for him to fit in the sport. Lenkopane has been admitted to the University of the Ozarks in Arkansas, where he will pursue both his studies and enhance his tennis skills. The university is a member of The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. He is a recipient of the 2021 Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) Elite Scholarship Fund.
Lenkopane told Mmegi Sport he learnt that tennis does not only offer physical benefits but also is good for his character building. “Tennis taught me virtues I hold myself to the highest etiquette and those virtues are patience, honesty and bravery. My first coach was Mac Makhumalo and working with him was amazing. I made my debut on the court in 2015 in Francistown,” he said.
Lenkopane said his strength lies in his right hand and he likes playing doubles more than singles. He is also strong with the forehand and serves. During his career, Lenkopane has secured 16 medals, five certificates and two trophies. The medals include eight gold, six silver and two bronze. The 20-year-old said his highest Universal Tennis Ranking was 8.29. “My role model is my father, Godiraone. My toughest opponent back home has always been Shane Tapera. Now that I am based in Arkansas I want to play tournaments that could get me a better ranking.
I want to join the ATP circuit,” he said. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits. Lenkopane said he intends to get his degree in Business Administration, work hard and make sure that his career reaches its peak. Meanwhile, the player said it has not been an easy journey due to a lack of financial support. He said being a student also took away most of his time and he had an hour of practice most of the time. “My parents were my strong support system. They offered all the resources I needed to succeed.
So I am where I am today because of them,” he said. For his part, coach Makhumalo said he started working with Lenkopane in 2014 when he was only 12 years. “I held a training camp in Orapa in 2014 and Lenkopane was part of the group that attended the camp. I wanted to impart the knowledge I had with a wider community,” he said. Makhumalo said Lenkopane stayed behind when some players decided to quit. He said at 12 years, Lenkopane was playing against youngsters in a smaller court using red dot ball.
He said the player worked hard and his parents started paying for his private training sessions. “I managed to take him to competition level. At one point, his parents were worried that his studies might be affected so I would give him time to study, especially when he was doing Form Five. He started telling me that he wanted to go overseas; then we shifted focus to that. We were excited when he got awarded the Elite Scholarship,” he said. Makhumalo said he has agreed with Lenkopane that after completing his studies, he should set up a sports business in Botswana. He said before his departure to Arkansas, Lenkopane was assisting with coaching beginners.
FACT FILE
Full names: Kao Kevin Lenkopane
Date of birth: January 7, 2002
Place of birth: Orapa
Career: Tennis player
Club: University of the Ozarks in Arkansas (Eagles)
Hobbies: Listening to music, running and cooking
Favourite dish: Oxtail and dumblings