SA sports stars embrace glorious moments
Kgothatso Montjane is only one of the many sports stars to break through the barriers on an international level. #SmashTheLabel
SOUTH African sports stars over the past few months have shown their colours competing at the highest level to make their fans proud.
Not only was it Kevin Anderson who made it through to the Wimbledon men’s final, but also South African wheelchair tennis player, Kgothatso Montjane. She stood her ground and went on to play in the semi-finals of the wheelchair tennis division.
Montjane said she didn’t even think she will go that far at Wimbledon after clinching her fourth women’s singles title at the Swiss Open in Geneva, Switzerland, then rushing to get to England to play at Wimbledon.
“I had a good tour in Europe and had to finish the Swiss Open and then make my way to England for Wimbledon, thus didn’t have any time to play on grass beforehand. I actually never played on grass before and just had a few hours training on grass before the event started.”
She was the first black South African women to make it to the Wimbledon semi-finals.
“Yes, and I played on the same surface as the Williams sisters who graced the courts for so many years.
“I felt honoured and didn’t expect being given a wildcard for the tournament to go so far. I knew that Kevin (Anderson) was also performing well and even though we don’t know each other so well, it was good to have fellow South African Raven Klaasen in the doubles, which helped a lot.”
What made her performance stand head above the others is that she didn’t have her coach with her as no money was available to accommodate him.
“I had to dig deep at times, and am so happy that I could go so far. This will help me in the future,” said Montjane, who is a graduate from the University of Johannesburg.
This is only one success story of a South African sportsperson who managed to break through the barriers.
Supporting her efforts and many other South Africans whether it is sport or cultural, Castle Lager, South Africa’s home-grown and patriotic beer brand, has positioned itself to do the same.
The iconic beer company, South African Breweries, are again, through their flagship brand Castle Lager, striking a chord with the launch of their new anti-prejudice movement called #SmashTheLabel. The movement is aimed at bringing South Africans closer together by driving awareness and creating conversations about the pervasive problem of labelling and stereotyping.
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Montjane receives a hero’s welcome
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