Ronewa Mudzanani is heading to Turkey to compete in four tennis tournaments thanks to the support of the South African public.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 November 2022) – Ronewa Mudzanani, a tennis para-athlete, shared his thanks on social media this week after his plea for assistance to get to Turkey was met with great support.
There are so many under-funded sporting codes in South Africa and yet, we have some of the most incredible sports stars. Sports play an integral role in the lives of all South Africans. It is how many pull themselves up from the poverty line, inspiring their communities to dream big.
Many athletes are left to source private funding to be able to compete and have fulfilling careers. We have shared many stories that highlight this.
25-year-old Ronewa Mudzanani’s sport of choice is tennis. He was born in Limpopo and shortly afterwards, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He was raised by his mother and grandmother who both instilled a pride in him that he could accomplish whatever he wanted. Today he is a medal-winning athlete!
Mudzanani started to take his tennis career seriously after winning the 2016 Limpopo Sports Awards. Tennis South Africa approached him to join the national para-squad. Since then, he has earned a bronze medal during the 2021 BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Alghero, Sardinia alongside teammates Donald Ramphadi and Danny Mohlamonyane.
He has been unable to fully fund his trips to compete this year which has meant his world ranking has suffered. Not wanting to end the year on a sporting low, Mudzanani turned to the public for help. Several organisations, including Mavu Sport Development, Decathlon South Africa and The Back Clinic, came forward to help, as did many members of the public.
He was able to raise the R64,000 needed to cover all the costs of the upcoming trip. The tennis player jets off to Turkey on the 11th of November and will return on the 2nd of December 2022. He will be taking part in four tournaments while in Turkey.
My Visa to Turkey 🇹🇷 was approved.
I thank everyone who contributed, without you guys I am nothing. Thank you to everyone who contributed those R50, R100 and more made a difference. I will be leaving on the 11th November this coming Friday and return on 2nd of December. pic.twitter.com/gYoSb5Dc7U
— Ronewa Mudzanani (@RonewaMudzanan1) November 7, 2022
Mudzanani is excited about what the possibilities of this tournament will mean for his career.
“Going to Turkey is different from my last Tournament of 2021 which was in Italy. Now I’m going as an individual. A lot happened this year and I have a lot to work on. My advantage is that I’m going there as underdog because lot of players don’t know me. They don’t know how I play. But I will do everything I can to make everyone proud and all those who invested in this Trip.
I am doing everything I can behind the scene to be ready for this coming Tournament.”
You can follow his progress via his Facebook page here. Best of luck Ronewa, South Africa will be cheering you on!