Players and coaches at Hammanskraal Tennis Club have been rewarded for their hard work and impressive results in recent years, with Tennis South Africa (TSA) announcing its extended support of the club as part of the Growthpoint Centre of Excellence programme.
The launch of this support recognises both the club's excellent work and the exciting young talent emerging in the communities surrounding the Hammanskraal Tennis Club in northern Gauteng, with several players from the club having participated in international junior tournaments.
"As a club we are excited about this partnership with Tennis South Africa and Growthpoint for the support of the high-performance programme at our club," said Simon Tlhatlha, chairperson of Hammanskraal Tennis Club.
"This will obviously bring a lot of opportunities for our tournament players. It will help them to participate in more events.
"It will also assist with proper and sufficient equipment and will empower our volunteer coaches and managers. With TSA and Growthpoint on board, we are aiming for new frontiers."
Tennis SA launched its support for the Hammanskraal Tennis Club in Temba as part of the #GrowthpointTennis Centre of Excellence program this past weekend. The support recognizes both the club's excellent work and the exciting young talent emerging from the Hammanskraal community. pic.twitter.com/41qGH4R0GG
— Tennis South Africa (@TennisSA) February 6, 2023
The national Growthpoint Centre of Excellence programme provides support to existing tennis development initiatives in target regions, while growing the sport in the areas around each centre and acting as a platform for junior talent identification and junior talent development.
For the past five years, the Growthpoint programme has provided a space for youth to thrive in communities in Soweto, Cape Town, Kwazulu-Natal and Atteridgeville, with several players from these centres qualifying on merit for the Growthpoint Junior National Championships, the country's flagship junior event.
Several universities have also awarded bursaries to several players from the Growthpoint centres since 2019, helping them continue their higher education while playing tennis.
“We are grateful to Growthpoint Properties for ensuring the continuation of this long-held vision," said TSA President Gavin Crookes.
"We hope the Growthpoint funding will enable the Hammanskraal Tennis Club to thrive even more."