Wimbledon women’s champion Serena Williams and her sister, Venus, could be visiting South Africa before the end of the year as part of a possible ”African programme” initiated by the Williams family.
At a press conference after meeting Sport and Recreation Minister Ngconde Balfour in Cape Town on Tuesday, the sisters’ mother, Oracene Williams, said the visit would depend on their playing and training commitments.
But, asked whether it would be before the end of 2002, she said ”this is my desire”.
During their visit, the two women would be involved in coaching clinics, while exhibition matches were also a possibility. Oracene Williams’ visit to South Africa — before leaving for Senegal and Ghana — was more of a ”fact-finding trip” to see what they could do to ”impact” and broaden tennis in the country.
Her daughters wanted to become involved in programmes that impacted on youth, women, health and education, Williams said.
They aspired to be role models, and played for the ”title” rather than the money, she said.
Balfour said it would be an honour for South Africa, as a nation ”crazy about sport”, to host the sisters.
Such a visit would encourage young people to emulate them, and could just be the motivation South Africa’s youth needed to ”confront the challenges that they face in their endeavours to reach sporting excellence”, he said. – Sapa