Story
By Nthabiseng Mphahlele
Development sponsorship
South Africa
Sponsorship
Lebowakgomo Junior Tennis Club is situated at Lebowakgomo tennis courts at Lebowakgomo stadium under Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province. Lebowakgomo Junior Tennis Club has 25 kids presently and is growing slowly because tennis is not a dominating sport in and around our community. Our kids are very dedicated and passionate to it and they enjoy the court a lot. Knowing that the tennis equipment and gear is very expensive and parents are unable to afford most of the sport needs. Our kids are attending different primary and secondary schools around Lebowakgomo and all of them are attending no fees schools.
We always request parents to buy the starter kit which is the rackets and tennis shoes for their kids and others are struggling to affort the kit. We request donations around our community but we don’t get the support like other sports (Soccer/Netball). Our kids are practising on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and daily on school holidays. They utilise the local municipality tennis courts for practising, it has seven (7) tennis courts. In December 2023 they stole six (6) nets in the courts and our kids are struggling when practising. Parents contributed some money to buy two used nets and we are using colourful ropes in other courts.
Lebowakgomo Junior Tennis Club has kids in Rising Star Games, Limpopo Baobab Prokennex Rainbow Kids Tournament and Inter-Provincial Schools Tournament and we achieved:
1.The winner of Rainbow Kids Tournament 2023 Under 10 is from our club Mphahlele Mahlodi.
2. Rising Star Capricorn District Medalist 2024(Mphahlele Kamano, Seabi Kamogelo, Mochemi Bohlale & Modika Thepudi).
3.Rising Star Limpopo Province Champions 2024 (Mphahlele Kamano, Seabi Kamogelo, Mochemi Bohlale & Modika Thepudi). Due to shortage of funds our kids are unable to attend TSA tournaments in other provinces to uplift their rankings nationally, provincially and to gain exposure and more experience of playing outside with their peers. We are hoping or wishes to have the tennis academy one day or in future because the municipality is not maintaining the tennis courts and they are not supportive. Parents must always come to remove the weeds in the courts to prevent snake hideouts and the safety of the kids. Lebowakgomo Junior Tennis Club needs any form of assistance, it can be monetory donations,tennis equipments, shoes, attire and tournament sponsor.