SHARPEVILLE. – With the days nearing Woman’s Month celelebrations, Sedibeng Ster Sport has tracked down one of the long standing and surviving sportswomen in Sedibeng.
Since starting to play tennis at the age of 13 for the now defunct international Junior tennis Club, Sophia Mareka (44), is still going strong. Mareka is currently a member of the Sharpeville Tennis Club.
She took Sedibeng Ster Sport back to the days when tennis was played by few youngsters in the community. Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sport, Mareka said that she grew up involved in the sport and, to this day, despite her age she is still passionate about it.
“I started playing tennis at primarily school and I have never stopped until now.For some of us we played tennis when the sport was played by a few of us in the township. We could have easily turned professional but by then there was no opportunities that the youngsters of today enjoy. I’m very passionate about tennis and I don’t know when I will stop playing, I will go on as long as my legs can carry me. I challenge young girls to play this sport because it has great opportunities,” she said.
Mareka said some of the former tennis greats that inspired her were Wimbledon super stars such as Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Steffi Graff and Borris Becker.
