Players of the Bloemfontein-based Flamingo B&G Tennis Club made significant strides in improving their game at Tennis South Africa\u2019s Rainbow Kidz Matchplay Mania U10 tournament. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This event was hosted at the Meisieskool Oranje on 29 January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the club\u2019s first time participating in the multi-match format event, in which players competed in both singles and doubles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The players\u2019 improvement excited founder and coach Limakatso Motsumi (51). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She toldExpress<\/span><\/i>that the youngsters and coaches gained not only valuable experience, but great exposure. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe players learned a lot in terms of playing the formal game, while having fun at the same time,\u201d said Motsumi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe, as coaches, gained more experience in terms of organising and umpiring the matches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Top performers received prizes and certificates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis motivates them to continue participating and improving their skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The club, established last year, is based in Rocklands. It has 25 members, mostly from the township, and two other coaches, Litsheoane Lekeka (19) and Goodwill Molise (22). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The club is affiliated with the Free State Tennis Federation (FSTF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Motsumi, also a sports official at the Department of Education in the Motheo District, said she was inspired to start a development tennis club in the township because of her mission to create a platform for children to participate in sport, identify talent and develop them to their full potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Motsumi, she runs the club with her own limited resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe club is not getting any funding. Children are registered and coached for free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Motsumi\u2019s love of tennis coaching stems from her natural love for children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUpon noticing that children in township schools do not participate in tennis, I saw a need for an organised school tennis league in the Motheo District,\u201d Motsumi said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI loved tennis as a player, and now I\u2019m still sharpening my skills with the FSTF.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Players of the Bloemfontein-based Flamingo B&G Tennis Club made significant strides in improving their game at Tennis South Africa\u2019s Rainbow Kidz Matchplay Mania U10 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