Tidimane gets US tennis scholarship
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday August 18, 2015 10:14
Tidimane has been admitted at Seminole State College of Tennis. Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) secretary general, Boikobo Gaolebalwe told Mmegi Sport Tidimane was admitted at the college after graduating at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) High Performance Center in Morocco.
Gaolebalwe explained that the player has been partly sponsored by the college and BTA. He said the player’s good tennis performances ensured he wins a place at the US college.
Gaolebalwe said Tidimane was ranked number 800 in December and in July he went up the rankings to number 360 in the world. Tidimane started playing tennis at Phikwe Primary School when he was 11 years old. Due to his brilliant performance, the youngster was invited for trials in South Africa after being identified by an ITF development officer during a tournament held in Botswana in 2006.
The player was granted ITF sponsorship at the Pretoria High Performance Centre at the age of 12. “The centre offered both academic studies and tennis. He continued to excel and after the centre was closed in 2013 he moved to Morocco.
“It was Tidimane and a Namibian player who were selected to relocate to Morocco. The selection was performance-based,” Gaolebalwe said. He said the player completed his studies last year and the centre asked him to stay behind and assist new players.
Gaolebalwe appreciated the support that Tidimane’s family gave the player and the association over the years. Meanwhile, Tidimane’s sister, Doreen Kgoleyamotho said her family paid for the player’s ticket, visa and living allowance. She said they appreciated that BTA has financial challenges hence they assisted. “We have been supporting my brother since he started the sport. It is his passion and we are doing everything for him to realise his dream. “We are also sportspersons. My mother is into netball. My father used to play football and I play netball,” said Kgoleyamotho.
She paid tribute to Tidimane’s former coach, Wellington Sibanda for identifying the player and moulding him into the star he is today. Tidimane was a football player before, but that all changed when he switched to tennis.