Celebrating the legacy of tennis icons from the apartheid era

Tennis heroes of yesteryear were honoured at the inaugural ceremony of The Apartheid Era Non-racial Tennis Icons Awards held at Rosebank Junior School on Saturday, January 17.

This ceremony was organised by the 11thofJune1972 Tennis Development Movement, a non-profit, in Wynberg, that works for the revival and development of tennis in marginalised communities. 

Its activities comprise the Apartheid Era Non-racial Tennis Icon Recognition; tennis camps; coach training; free coaching; and assistance with the revival of defunct tennis clubs.

Founder of the movement, Robin Coxson, said the purpose of the awards is to educate, celebrate, and create awareness about tennis during apartheid, towards the revival of tennis in the marginalised communities.

“The awards recognise those who played tennis under adverse conditions, and those who promoted tennis development during the apartheid era,” he said. 

Four posthumous awards were handed out to the families of former tennis players, Alwyn Solomon, Winston Petersen, Trevor Lawrence, and the former administrator of the organisation, Ronald Sampson.

While awards were also presented to retired tennis players, Abdul Maliek Cassiem, Trovsky Jacobs, Youngski Jacobs, Quintin Lawrence,  Eugene Petersen, Yvette Petersen, Arnie Poole, Charmaine Williams Poole, Arnie Poole, and Oscar Woodman, awards were also handed to tennis coaches, Francois Hein, Fred Kiewitz, as well as a civilian award to Fuldila Jacobs, who provided transport to youth tennis players.

The son of the late Trevor Lawrence, Terence Lawrence, said his father played tennis from the 1950s through to the 1980s. Mr Lawrence said his father was born in Worcester and played tennis for Boland, then when he moved to Diep River.

He later received Western Province colours in tennis.

“In his era of playing, things were much different then, though he made many friends,” he said.

Mr Lawrence said his father even toured France, Spain, and the United Kingdom in the late 1960s, adding that his father even received national colours for table tennis in the 1970s.

The widow of the late Winston Petersen, Carol Petersen from Grassy Park, received the award on behalf of her late husband.

Ms Petersen said her husband played tennis from the age of 16 until he died in 2024 at the age of 83.

“I am very proud of this organisation that went the extra mile in making sure these tennis players were honoured,” she said, adding that the organisation named the tennis camp after her husband, where they provide tennis coaching to the youth. 

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