The Hammanskraal Tennis Club emerged as the standout winners at this year’s Gauteng Women in Sports Awards, clinching three prestigious awards. Winnie Masemola received the Special Recognition Award, while Mpho Makoba was honoured with the Technical Official of the Year award.
With two individual awards under their belt, the Hammanskraal-based club concluded the evening by securing the Project of the Year award. Club Chairperson Simon Tlhatlha regarded this accolade as one of the club’s greatest accomplishments.
“ This award is very humbling to us, and most importantly seeing the smiles on those children’s faces completes us.
Our objective is to give hope where all hope is lost. Having been involved in football for over a decade, I thought of doing something different, and since I played tennis myself when I was growing up, it became an automatic choice.”.
Despite tennis being perceived as a sport for the privileged, the club has successfully drawn both children and parents into the sport.
Despite facing challenges such as limited facilities and funds, Tlhatlha emphasized that consistency and passion have been instrumental in maintaining the club’s standards. He also highlighted that proper planning is crucial to every successful project.
“Planning is essential for everything we undertake. From organizing training sessions to coordinating tournaments, we prioritize meticulous planning. We are fortunate to have dedicated members who share a passion for tennis. It’s crucial that everyone understands their role and supports each other,” emphasized Tlhatlha.
Through this approach, the children have the opportunity to showcase their talents. Driven by passion and the desire to excel, they are self-motivated to attend training sessions daily. Recognising that children enjoy fun activities, we ensure that the training sessions are engaging and enjoyable, encouraging them to eagerly anticipate the next session.
“Our project extends beyond tennis; we also emphasize the importance of balancing sports and education. We actively monitor our players’ school work, assisting with homework and assignments.”
Mpho Makoba, winner of the Technical Official of the Year award and Deputy Chairperson of the club, expressed his delight in the club’s success over the years.
Having narrowly missed out on the award in previous years, Makoba was left stunned by the win.
“To be honest, I never expected to win this award. All the finalists in their respective sporting codes worked incredibly hard. I’ve been a finalist at these awards for three years without winning, and I suppose everything has its time,” Makoba reflected.
“I was away officiating a Junior International tournament in Potchefstroom during the Awards ceremony. I was sitting with my colleagues and some players from all over the world, watching the event on a YouTube channel,”
“When they announced the finalists for the Technical award, my heart was racing like a Formula 1 Grand Prix. As they were about to announce the winner, the room went dead quiet,” said Makoba.
“When my name was called, it felt like we had just won another World Cup. Everyone was screaming, dancing, and celebrating. I just sat there in disbelief, tears rolling down my cheeks, tears of happiness.”
“Going from simply doing what you love to bring fairness to the game, being both loved and hated by some during matches, to winning an award for your passion is incredibly humbling. It shows how much people appreciate you and your work,” added Makoba.
Makoba further said that the following day at the tournament, “I received an overwhelming number of congratulations like never before,”
“It was incredibly motivating and only fueled my determination to do even more,” Makoba shared.
Project of the year 2024 for HTC
Special Recognition Award 2024 for Winnie Masemola
Technical Official of the year for Mpho Makhoba
