By Mbongeni Vilakati
MBABANE – Tennis stars Nonhle Mkhonta and Allen Mathonsi made quite a racket, as they claimed the top spots at the BDGS Open Tournament, winning the player of the tournament award in the girls’ and boys’ categories, respectively.
The Bruce Gama Diabetes Foundation, in partnership with Elite Catering hosted the tennis showdown BDGS tournament at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Kwaluseni Campus courts, which attracted a number of tennis players.
A rising star in the tennis sport, Nonhle Mkhonta displayed a brilliant performance throughout the tournament. She managed to reach the finals after the round robin format in the girls’ category. She was defeated by Tandzile Dlamini, who emerged the champions in their category.
Allen Mathonsi was knocked out early in the men’s singles category. However, his performance was unmatched to any other as he was voted the player of the tournament.
Speaking to this publication, the Tennis Showdown BDGS Open tournament director Curtis Mamba shared his excitement with impressive performance displayed during then tournament.
“It was great to see some of the best players who came back from injury. With the men’s categories, the standard of playing is growing. We had great surprises of players defeating seeded players on the tournament which is good for preparation for the Botswana Open Tennis Tournament, scheduled for later next month (June). We could also identify possible pairs in the doubles which we can select to represent us in the upcoming tournament in Botswana.” said Mamba.
Tennis Showdown BDGS Open Results and Awards
Player of the tournament
- Nonhle Mkhonta (ladies)
- Allan Mathonsi (men)
Men’s Doubles
Sakhile Hlophe/Farai Mareya beat Thulani Gina/ Bruce Gama (6-4) (6-4)
Prize: E1 200 +Goodie bag (Lactalis+ KFC+ Sibane Chillies) +Trophy
Round Robin Format Final Match
Tandzile Dlamini beat Nonhle Mkhonta by 6-4
Prize: (the finalist shared the award) - Tandzile Dlamini won E800 + Trophy+ Goodie Bag
- Nonhle Mkhonta won E400+ Goodie Bag
Men’s Singles
Semi-finals
1st semi-final: Farai Mareya won (6-1) (6-2) against Bruce Gama
2nd semi-finals: Vuisi Tsabedze won (6-4) (6-2) against Santa Sokokhaibam
However, the Men’s final could not be played due to time constraints. As a results, Farai Mareya and Vusi Tsabedze shared the prize (E3 200 +Goodie Bag).
