A Grade 8 learner at Crawford College Sandton has recently been selected for the U15A Gauteng Central Provincial Tennis team after a grueling qualification process.
Dina Tchelete is one of the youngest to make the team and will play in the inter-provincial tournament during March. Dina was one of the six players chosen to represent Maccabi SA, which is a community sports organisation responsible for providing sport and recreation infrastructure and opportunities for the Jewish community. Dina will compete in Budapest, Hungary from 29 July to 7 August at the 15th European Maccabi Games. She is again one of the youngest players to be chosen in the Junior tennis category.
In addition to these achievements, Dina was also chosen to represent Central Gauteng’s B team in 2017, Central Gauteng’s A team in 2018 and she played in the inter-provincial tournament in Bloemfontein, and played in the Sun City Primary Schools Tournament 2018. She was chosen to represent Central Gauteng this year as well.
Dina began playing tennis in 2012 when she was in Grade 1. Dina participated in many sports as well as dancing while in primary school. It was only in Grade 5 that she decided she loved tennis more than all the other sports and would like to make tennis her focus. She plays tennis six days a week for about 15 hours each week. Her training schedule comprises of private lessons, hitting sessions, squad practice and league play.
Her goal for the future is to get a scholarship to an overseas university for tennis. Dina is a type 1 diabetic and is insulin dependent which has taught her to be resilient and disciplined. She has been taught that she is capable of anything and that diabetes will never get in her way or stop her from achieving her goals.
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