‘Disability not end of the world’
“Don’t look down on yourself because you are disabled."
Despite the outcome of their doubles match in the Ithembelihle ITF Juniors Tournament at the Gauteng East Tennis Association (GETA) complex on October 4, wheelchair tennis players Bongumenzi Biyela and partner Musa Zondo were delighted they reached the final.
The duo suffered a 4-6, 2-6 straight sets loss to singles champion Ntando Nokama and his partner, Daniel van Wyk, a runner-up in the singles.
Although they displayed great chemistry in the first set, especially because they were still fresh while their opponents had just finished their singles final, their impatience let them down.
While they were lethal in the exchanges, with several successive shots, which troubled Nokama and Van Wyk at times, their service and tracking back proved a massive challenge, which their opponents feasted on.
The final result may suggest it was one-way traffic for Nokama and Van Wyk, they were given a run for their money in a match Biyela said was played in the spirit of the game.
“The game was fair. We all had fun. Nothing untoward happened. It was good,” the man from Durban said.
Biyela, from Open Air School, had both legs amputated shortly after he was born due to peripheral vascular disease.
He dabbles in several sporting codes including wheelchair basketball, with hopes of being part of the country’s wheelchair basketball squad going to the Paris Paralympics next year.
He said his disability is not an inability.
“In the world, we are the same. That you have a disability doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. There are other things you can do like taking part in sport or art. Don’t look down on yourself because you are disabled. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do this or that. You are also a person,” he said.
Zondo, from Inthembelihle LSEN School in Germiston, echoed his doubles partner’s views, saying there are many opportunities for people living with disabilities.
“There’s no need to hide yourself. Show up, be proud of yourself and reach for the stars. Accept who you are so can live peacefully,” said Zondo.
The pair said they are inspired by the country’s high-performance stars like Donald Ramphadi and Kgothatso Montjane, saying they showed them the benefits of hard work.
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