The Emntsalani Junior Tennis Club was started by Mbulelo Lugogwana who grew up in Zwide Township, Port Elizabeth. He played many sports, including rugby, tennis, and squash.
A few years ago, he noticed that the tennis courts at the Zwide stadium had not been used and were derelict. He wanted to create opportunities for the children of Zwide to play sport, so he embarked on a mission to arrange tennis coaching for primary school children in the area.
It has been a long and difficult road but with the support of numerous organizations, people and friends he was able to access the right channels and was granted permission by the Metro to use the courts.
In 2016, a small group of children from three primary schools in the area was identified to start the program. The focus was to take the kids off the street, give them hope, focus, support, training, and encouragement. He hoped that by doing this talent could be identified and developed.
By April 2019, the group had grown to around 30 children, of which 5 promising Zwide players were invited to be coached as part of the Wembley Tennis Club development initiative. In February 2020 this number has grown to 13, with each court having a dedicated coach.
As part of their development, the top squad have all been registered with Tennis South Africa (TSA) and are eligible to enter all registered TSA tournaments throughout the country.