Identical twins Elani and Lumé Landman will represent South Africa at the Indian Ocean Island Games in Réunion, from 1 August.
This is the first time South Africa has been invited to participate in the week-long exhibition tournament, which takes place every four years.
The 21-year-old sisters are residents of Auckland Park and play for the University of Johannesburg.
They were chosen to represent their country on the basis of their outstanding performances at various national and international tournaments.
Both sisters are in their final year of study for a Bachelor of Education degree.
Originally from Port Elizabeth, the sisters now turn out for the Central Gauteng senior women’s A team.
At the recent Jarvis and Kaplan Cup inter-provincial tournament in Potchefstroom, they saw off Western Province in the final to secure the national champions’ title.
Despite their identical appearance, the 21-year-old students each have their own playing style. Elani is a three-time national U19 champion, while Lumé previously held the honours in the U16 age group.
“We know each other’s game and emotions very well,” Elani said. “It is also very important to support each other on and off the court and give advice when needed.”
She added that when the pair have to play against each other, they remove all emotions from the game and only concentrate on playing the best they can regardless of who wins.
The pair are no strangers to international competition and are busy honing their fitness and skills under the guidance of coach Mike Bester ahead of the games.
“Our strategy is to stay sharp and work on the small things on the court before we leave,” Elani concluded.
