A racial tug of war over the composition of the Eastern Cape junior team has split the sport of tennis in the province.
In a major blow to both tennis development and transformation in the province, 10 black players pulled out of the Eastern Cape team that is currently competing at Inter-Provincial Trials in Bloemfontein (under-13 and U15) and Pretoria (U19).
This is after the predominantly white Border Junior Tennis (BJT) reneged on an agreed transformation ratio of 60/40.
In what has blown up into a raging transformation tussle, the BJT, backed by Tennis SA (TSA), look to have derailed the bold transformation agenda spearheaded by Tennis Buffalo City (TBC) and Tennis Eastern Cape.
At a selectors’ meeting in February, attended by TBC chairman Neil Naidoo and his BJT counterpart, Gavin Hensberg, it was agreed, “in the interest of the development of black players” that EC would go for a 60/40 representativity.
This meant that 14 players of the 36 would be black.
But BJT made an abrupt U-turn saying they disagreed with the 60/40 principle, calling for two players of colour to be removed from the team to make way for white players.
Ten black players then pulled out in protest.
At this stage, Tennis EC president Clyde Lawrence intervened hoping to resolve the dispute amicably.
His efforts came to nought as BJT insisted on submitting their team of choice consisting of 24 white players and 12 black players.
Ironically, nine members of the BJT, including Hensberg, have children in the team that headed for the IPTs.
Compounding the issue, was the fact that, 10 of the 12 black players are believed to have been handpicked by BJT to replace those who pulled out.
Team selector Camagu Sotyelelwa, who himself was excluded from the final team selection process, was scathing in his assessment of the whole process: “Some of the black players in the final team are not known to the selectors; they did not even attend trials.
“It cannot be that more than 20 years into a democratic South Africa, you have people like BJT who are determined to block transformation by all means necessary.”
The makeshift provincial team was given the nod by Tennis SA (TAS) who ignored Tennis EC’s suggestion not to allow the “illegitimate” team in the IPT.
Naidoo argued that the team was “illegitimate and made up of white players and hand-picked black players used as pawns for window-dressing” as the correct selection criteria were not followed.
Lawrence concurred and recommended to the national body that the team be disallowed from taking part. He was over-ruled by TSA president Gavin Crookes, who approved the team.
Crookes defended his decision saying BJT was the “only duly authorised” body to have a final say on the team – an explanation that was laughed off by an irate Lawrence who felt undermined by head office.
“Transformation and development of players is a process which would ordinarily take time to put the correct structures and programmes in place so that one would ultimately develop skilled players who will make teams on merit alone and not on a PDI (previously disadvantaged individuals) ticket,” wrote BJT executive committee member Janice Little in a letter addressed to the TSA president last month.
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Gideon Sam said he was not aware of the issue, adding they were awaiting a report from the national Department of Sport and Recreation on progress made by TSA on transformation. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
EC Sport Confederation chairman Mkhululi Magada said it was “shocking” that BJT went above TBC and Tennis EC to submit a contested team to head office. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
Racial tug of war comes to a head in junior tennis
In a major blow to both tennis development and transformation in the province, 10 black players pulled out of the Eastern Cape team that is currently competing at Inter-Provincial Trials in Bloemfontein (under-13 and U15) and Pretoria (U19).
This is after the predominantly white Border Junior Tennis (BJT) reneged on an agreed transformation ratio of 60/40.
In what has blown up into a raging transformation tussle, the BJT, backed by Tennis SA (TSA), look to have derailed the bold transformation agenda spearheaded by Tennis Buffalo City (TBC) and Tennis Eastern Cape.
At a selectors’ meeting in February, attended by TBC chairman Neil Naidoo and his BJT counterpart, Gavin Hensberg, it was agreed, “in the interest of the development of black players” that EC would go for a 60/40 representativity.
This meant that 14 players of the 36 would be black.
But BJT made an abrupt U-turn saying they disagreed with the 60/40 principle, calling for two players of colour to be removed from the team to make way for white players.
Ten black players then pulled out in protest.
At this stage, Tennis EC president Clyde Lawrence intervened hoping to resolve the dispute amicably.
His efforts came to nought as BJT insisted on submitting their team of choice consisting of 24 white players and 12 black players.
Ironically, nine members of the BJT, including Hensberg, have children in the team that headed for the IPTs.
Compounding the issue, was the fact that, 10 of the 12 black players are believed to have been handpicked by BJT to replace those who pulled out.
Team selector Camagu Sotyelelwa, who himself was excluded from the final team selection process, was scathing in his assessment of the whole process: “Some of the black players in the final team are not known to the selectors; they did not even attend trials.
“It cannot be that more than 20 years into a democratic South Africa, you have people like BJT who are determined to block transformation by all means necessary.”
The makeshift provincial team was given the nod by Tennis SA (TAS) who ignored Tennis EC’s suggestion not to allow the “illegitimate” team in the IPT.
Naidoo argued that the team was “illegitimate and made up of white players and hand-picked black players used as pawns for window-dressing” as the correct selection criteria were not followed.
Lawrence concurred and recommended to the national body that the team be disallowed from taking part. He was over-ruled by TSA president Gavin Crookes, who approved the team.
Crookes defended his decision saying BJT was the “only duly authorised” body to have a final say on the team – an explanation that was laughed off by an irate Lawrence who felt undermined by head office.
“Transformation and development of players is a process which would ordinarily take time to put the correct structures and programmes in place so that one would ultimately develop skilled players who will make teams on merit alone and not on a PDI (previously disadvantaged individuals) ticket,” wrote BJT executive committee member Janice Little in a letter addressed to the TSA president last month.
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Gideon Sam said he was not aware of the issue, adding they were awaiting a report from the national Department of Sport and Recreation on progress made by TSA on transformation. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
EC Sport Confederation chairman Mkhululi Magada said it was “shocking” that BJT went above TBC and Tennis EC to submit a contested team to head office. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
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