Tennis Manager Hails International Competitions

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Monday June 22, 2009 00:00

 

He was speaking after the team finished third at Sun City Inter-Provincial Tennis Challenge in South Africa. The tournament took place from June 12 to June 15.

Van Vuuren said that tournaments of this nature should be encouraged and supported because they are good for the growth of junior players. The tournament provided a first taste of disciplined team play and competition at a higher level for the Botswana side.

The players were engaged in lengthy matches, which often went the full three sets.

Therefore, they played between one and three hours per match. Van Vuuren added that each player took part in three such matches per day. 'As a result of good sportsmanship, team work and disciplined performance Botswana gained much respect and recognition for all the other provinces participating,' she said. Besides Botswana, the other sides in the tournament were Free State, Gauteng North, Northern Cape and the North West Province. Each team consisted of 10 players - five boys and five girls. In the boys' category, Botswana was represented by Anthony Micklesfield, Luka Jurisic, Simmy Sibanda, Christiaan van Niekerk, Sean Ulrich while Chantel van Vuuren, Rumbi Ugaro, Wada Maseko, Tanaka Chakanyuka, and Karen Kwaramba represented Botswana in the girls category. Van Vuuren pointed out that when they selected the team, they took into consideration players who took part in the Northern and Southern Schools competition and the Botswana ranking in the age group. Players based in South Africa were also given a chance.   

'Our team was made up of players from across the country from Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe, Gaborone and Jwaneng,' she said. The team was sponsored by John Pickles and Son; and Vigosoft and Irta.