Many stalwarts of the SA Council on Sport (Sacos), established in the Struggle years against apartheid, have come to the fore to tell of their memorable fight against that system.
The non-racial Sacos organisation celebrated its 50th anniversary in March at Belgravia High School in Athlone. Belgravia High, under new leadership, is reviving its enthusiasm for academic and sport involvement.
Many Sacos personalities believe that if we want to re-energise the organisation it should start in the schools. The schools are crying out for sport.
Tennis has always been a favourite sport of mine. I was introduced to it when I was at high school and in the Lansdowne area. In the mid-1970s, there were 15 clubs around the Western Cape playing non-racial tennis.
In the Boland area we had the Samaai family organising tennis. David Samaai won many non-racial tennis tournaments in South Africa.
Samaai coached many champions, including Winston Petersen of Athlone Tennis Club. The Tennis Association of South Africa (Tasa) was responsible for many memorable non-racial tennis tournaments from 1973 to 1994. Its tournaments were always well-supported by players and spectators. How does one ever forget the Saturday afternoon summer matches between left-handed Arnie Poole of Lansdowne Tennis and never-say-die Winston Petersen of Athlone Tennis Club?
One remembers the exploits of Yvette Petersen and Charmaine Poole. Tennis tournaments were held throughout the country with up-and-coming young stars emerging, like Russel Woodman of Livingstone Tennis Club and James Isaacs of Lansdowne Tennis Club.
One of Lansdowne Tennis Club’s greatest players was Peter Lamb. However, he left Sacos. The Dhiraj brothers, the Lawrence brothers, the Jacobs brothers and Cavin Bergman were some of the country’s top tennis players.
Unfortunately, very few of Tasa’s clubs remain today. It is fitting in today’s South Africa that people are looking for a permanent solution to sport and politics.
Sacos led the way and there are many lessons the world can learn from the organisation about sport in a normal society.
* Brian Isaacs.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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