UKZN Press in collaboration with Ike’s Books launched Tennis, Apartheid and Social Justice: The First Non-Racial International Tennis Tour, 1971, by Saleem Badat, a research Professor at UKZN’s Humanities Institute.

The book records the political, social, and sporting conditions associated with the tour, the adventures of the talented young black tennis players, the impact of the tour on them, and the lessons learned.

In 1971, the non-racial Southern African Lawn Tennis Union sent six promising young players on a historic tour to play tournaments in Europe. The team was known as the ‘Dhiraj’ squad, after national champion Jasmat Dhiraj.

The book documents the collusion of international tennis associations with the racist whites-only South African Tennis body that prevented Dhiraj squad member Hoosen Bobat from playing in the Junior Wimbledon Championships in London.

Bobat, who features in Badat’s book, also attended the launch.

The inspiration for the book came from Badat’s close friend Bobat’s reminiscences of the 1971 tour.

‘Hoosen was 18 years old then,’ said Badat. ‘’He was invited to participate in the junior Wimbledon championship, and he would have been the first black South African to do so. Until then, only whites participated because the international tennis body only recognized the racist white body, to which black players could not belong. That body objected to Bobat’s participation, and he was excluded on the orders of the general secretary of the international tennis body. Can you imagine the excitement of the opportunity to play at Wimbledon, only for your dreams to be shattered? I had to bring to light this shameful episode about what racism and apartheid and the blatant collusion of international sports bodies did to black South Africans,’ Badat said.

Badat also played tennis under the non-racial tennis bodies, and he was Natal junior tennis singles and doubles champion in 1972 and 1973. In 1973, he won Natal schools’ provincial colors.

His book contends that ‘there has been neither recognition of nor reparations for outstanding apartheid-era black sportspersons and the racist legacy continues to impinge powerfully on tennis today’.

According to Badat, apartheid South Africa in the 1970s was a racist and repressive society, based on white supremacy and privilege and black oppression. Black tennis players were denied proper facilities, coaching, opportunities to excel, and the chance to represent their country and play international tournaments. They could not belong to the same clubs as whites or compete in competitions with or against white players.’ He also suggests: ‘Despite the barriers and constraints, many black sportspersons and sports administrators courageously and determinedly pursued the ideals of non-racialism in sport and in the wider society, often at great personal cost to themselves.’

To order the book, email Edwin Ramthew at

Natal junior tennis singles and doubles champion in 1972 and 1973. In 1973, he won Natal schools’ provincial colors.

His book contends that ‘there has been neither recognition of nor reparations for outstanding apartheid-era black sportspersons and the racist legacy continues to impinge powerfully on tennis today’.

According to Badat, apartheid South Africa in the 1970s was a racist and repressive society, based on white supremacy and privilege and black oppression. Black tennis players were denied proper facilities, coaching, opportunities to excel, and the chance to represent their country and play international tournaments. They could not belong to the same clubs as whites or compete in competitions with or against white players.’ He also suggests: ‘Despite the barriers and constraints, many black sportspersons and sports administrators courageously and determinedly pursued the ideals of non-racialism in sport and in the wider society, often at great personal cost to themselves.’

To order the book, email Edwin Ramthew at ramthew@ukzn.ac.za, or phone 033-2605802. Copies are also on sale at the UKZN Press offices on the UKZN Pietermaritzburg campus, or phone 033-2605802. Copies are also on sale at the UKZN Press offices on the UKZN Pietermaritzburg campus

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