South African student-athlete, Makhosazana ‘Khosi’ Stewart, hopes to join Tennis South Africa’s Primary Schools team when it tours the United States in August.
At the age of four, Makhosazana ‘Khosi’ Stewart was given a tennis racket and has been wedded to the game ever since. The Germiston, South Africa native won her first competition within the same year she took up the relatively popular sport, particularly with those who have access to it in the Rainbow Nation.
“From a young age I was lucky enough to be introduced to sports,” said Stewart whose goal is to become a professional on the Women’s Tennis Association tour. “Sport is an excellent tool to help one develop and become successful in life,” she said.
Displaying an unwavering love and passion for the game since picking up her first racket, Stewart was recently selected to Tennis South Africa’s (TSA) Primary Schools Tennis Team that will tour the United States from August 19 to August 31.
“She had an excellent inter-provincial tournament and won most of her matches against the other provincial number 1's,” said TSA’s Primary Schools chair and tour coordinator, Jakkie Burger. Representing Gauteng Central Tennis Association, Stewart is one of eight girls chosen (eight boys were also selected) out of 192 players to represent the TSA Primary School Tennis Team, which will make stops in Louisiana and New York.
“My dedication and effort continues to pay off,” said Stewart who turns 13 next month. Currently ranked 31st in the country, in the Girls Under 13 Schools Age Group, the Redhill School student-athlete is not free of trials and challenges.
Adopted by Fiona Stewart, a hotelier and hospitality industry professional, and Annette van Hout, a qualified nursing sister and former personnel officer, Khosi’s mother was diagnosed with HIV shortly after Khosi was born. In 2006, Fiona and Annette formally became Khosi’s adoptive parents, introducing her to tennis a couple of years later.
“As a family, we have started to seek local sponsorship to assist with the costs of her tennis education and schooling,” Fiona said, speaking on the financial demands of an aspiring junior tennis player and their families. A student of Gareth Gibson’s Advantage Academy, Stewart maintains an intense and expensive training regiment in pursuit of her goals to gain international exposure and maximize her potential athletically and academically.
“She competes fairly, respects her opponents, has a good sense of what is right and wrong and is able to handle a loss and learn from a difficult situation,” said Gibson. “Makhosazana is teachable and gets on well with her coaches and is popular with her peers. I have no hesitation in recommending her for a scholarship,” Gibson continued. “In the time we have known her she has shown a passion and desire to compete with the best. Makhosazana would be an asset to any team.”
Due to TSA’s current fiscal challenges, parents of Primary Schools USA Tour Team members are responsible for funding their child’s participation and all associated costs. The opportunities the tour presents are worth the sacrifice and fundraising effort according to the Stewarts and van Hout.
“As a family, we have started to seek local sponsorship to assist with the costs of her tennis education and schooling,” said van Hout.
“We have commenced a campaign with GoGetFunded.com to assist us with sponsoring her costs to travel with the SA Schools Team to the USA in August,” van Hout said of aiming to raise $7,500 (R98 000) to cover the tour expenses. The second payment installment for the tour was yesterday, with the final payment due at the end of July.
“The team will visit Future Tennis Academy [owned by South Africa native Abrie du Plooy] at City Park New Orleans in Louisiana, practice at the Pepsi Tennis Center in New Orleans and tour the University of New Orleans,” said Burger.
In between trainings and matches against local juniors, the touring team will visit historic Louisiana landmarks, universities and take in American southern culture at the famous French Quarter before heading to New York City. The delegation is scheduled to visit the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, close to Liezel Huber -former WTA #1 doubles player, seven-time Grand Slam champion and South African- who recently assumed the position of director of tennis and development at the NYJTL Cary Leeds Center.
One of many tennis playing South Africans in the United States, Huber is one of many that has expressed interest in connecting with the team upon their arrival on America’s east coast.
With intentions of using tennis to be an “ambassador of South Africa,” Khosi wants to “increase awareness of tennis in the country and allow children of all walks of life and economic backgrounds to learn to enjoy the sport as much as I do and achieve their own personal dreams.”
“This has been an amazing journey of personal growth for me and I cannot wait to see what the future will hold,” Khosi said. “As Vince Lombardi once said, “The greatest accomplishment is in not never falling but in rising again after you fall.”
Click here to learn more about Makhosazana ‘Khosi’ Stewart and Tennis South Africa’s Primary Schools Tennis Team.
Gauteng Central Tennis Association’s Under 13 Primary Schools team finished 3rd at this year’s TSA Inter-Provincial Tournament. Khosi Stewart’s tournament performance earned her a spot on TSA’s Primary Schools USA Tour Team.