KIA Motors South Africa announces inaugural KIA SA Beach Tennis Nationals tournament

KIA Motors South Africa, in partnership with Tennis South Africa (TSA), will host the first ever KIA SA Beach Tennis Nationals tournament at the Badplaas Forever Resort from 10-12 May 2019. Badplaas, also commonly referred to as eManzana and eBhadini, is an exotic location on the foothills in the Dlomodlomo Mountains in the lush Mpumalanga Province.

“KIA Motors South Africa is delighted to continue its partnership with Tennis South Africa to grow the sport of Beach Tennis on local soil,” says Christo Valentyn, Brand Marketing and Communications Manager for the company. “It’s a fun and challenging sport for the young – and the young at heart – and is a perfect fit for the KIA brand."

The KIA SA Beach Tennis Nationals championship follows the resounding success of the KIA Summer Slam Beach Tennis Tour, which took place on the Garden Route in December last year. The tournament will will consist of eight men's and women’s doubles teams battling it out for the national title, with the winners continuing to the World Team Championships, set to take place in Russia, as South Africa’s representatives in July.

To determine the teams that will compete in Badplaas, regional tournaments with qualifiers will be hosted in the Eastern Cape (St. Francis), Western Cape (Camps Bay), KwaZulu-Natal (North Beach on 27 & 28 April) and Gauteng (Pretoria Country Club on 4 and 5 May).

Following the success of TSA’s first Beach Tennis event in partnership with KIA Motors South Africa, Beach Tennis Manager, Iain Smith, is excited about this second event. “Beach tennis is a growing sporting event that is sparking continued interest in the South Africa, as it is around the world, and we are very happy to once again bring this fun, exciting format of tennis into the spotlight,” he says.

“We are confident that the award-winning Badplaas Resort will excite fans and players alike during this year’s nationals,” he adds."While it is not near the ocean, the venue has invested significantly into transforming their bowling green into a multipurpose beach sports venue. Six beach tennis courts have been created, and we are very excited about their commitment to the sport. Badplaas has fantastic facilities that will make this coming tournament a resounding success and great fun.”

Players wishing to enter can email Iain Smith on az.oc.assinnet@htimsi with their name, surname, age, cell and email address as well as the details of their partner. Alternatively players can go to www.sportyhq.com and search for the events under the tournaments section.