Junior Wheelchair Tennis Stars Represent SA at KWTA Youth Camp

Photo Credit: Tennis South Africa

South Africa’s top junior wheelchair tennis players travelled to Japan to gain international experience and compete at the KWTA Youth Camp.

Fukuoka, Japan (17 November 2025) – The excitement was real as South Africa’s brightest junior wheelchair tennis stars prepared to take on the courts of Fukuoka, Japan! From 13–16 November 2025, Pheeha Machaka, Africa’s No. 1 Boys Junior, Johannes Pienaar, Africa’s No. 4, and Inam Madiloyi, Africa’s No. 1 Girls Junior, represented the nation at the KWTA Wheelchair Tennis Youth Camp, an event designed to celebrate talent, foster growth, and strengthen international connections.

The camp, hosted in partnership with the Kyushu Wheelchair Tennis Association, Jumping Kids, and Tennis South Africa, promised a vibrant mix of world-class training, skill-building, and cultural exchange. For these young athletes, the tournament was a chance to experience a global sporting stage and test themselves against some of the best peers from around the world.

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South Africa’s team was guided by Patrick Selepe, Tennis South Africa’s wheelchair tennis manager, whose leadership and expertise are integral to helping the players maximise this opportunity. Thanks to Jumping Kids, the journey to Japan was made much smoother. The NPO stepped in to support the team, ensuring that flight tickets and logistics were taken care of, allowing the young athletes and their coach to focus on the court.

“We’re thrilled that Jumping Kids made it possible for coach Patrick Selepe-Mathole and our team of promising junior wheelchair tennis players to attend the Japan Youth Camp. Their support has opened doors for our athletes to gain invaluable international experience.”

The talented young players hit the courts in Japan. With Africa’s top-ranked juniors representing Team South Africa, the hope was not just to compete but to learn, grow, and perhaps even bring home some remarkable results.