Former Winthrop tennis athletes aligned with the “Save Winthrop Tennis” initiative were granted the opportunity to address the Board of Trustees regarding their frustration with the tennis program’s elimination five months ago. At the meeting, two international students announced their intent to transfer from the university to continue pursuing tennis elsewhere.
“Tennis is a part of who I am, which is why I will be transferring to another Division I school to continue my path,” Angela Georgieva, an international student from South Africa, informed the Board.
Georgieva’s decision to attend Winthrop was fueled by her love for the sport and a deep admiration for the institution’s tennis program, which had achieved prestigious successes in both the men’s and women’s divisions throughout the program’s career. The Board’s decision to eliminate the tennis team earlier this year shocked Georgieva and other athletes in the program.
“Playing tennis for Winthrop made me grow so much in so many aspects and I honestly felt like I was living my dream,” she told the Board. “Every day I woke up feeling so blessed and every day it really was another step towards my goals and dreams. Unfortunately, that path came to an end. A very sudden and unexpected end. And that feeling of heartbreak will follow me for the rest of my life.”
Georgieva’s sentiments were similarly echoed by Samantha Nanere, an international student from Indonesia.
“The day I was informed of the elimination of the tennis program, I felt like I had just lost a family member,” Nanere told the board. “The program being cut so close to the beginning of the semester and especially in the middle of a global pandemic made everything worse. I was anxious about my future and struggling mentally.”
“I’ve been playing tennis since I was seven, and tennis is part of who I am. I cannot imagine myself not playing tennis,” she added. That being said, I am transferring to another Division I school to pursue my dream. I will forever be grateful for the time I’ve had at Winthrop. I’ve learned and grown so much from here.”
Both Georgieva and Nanere criticised the athletic department’s decision to prevent students from using the tennis courts to practice during the semester due to COVID-19, a decision they stated would have a detrimental effect on former Winthrop tennis players, like themselves, seeking to train and pursue their athletic career elsewhere.
“At this moment, I feel very lost and abandoned because I can not even use the tennis courts to practice and be ready for my new team, even though it [was] said to us that they would be available for us to use,” Geogieva told the Board. “South Africa is on complete lockdown, so I decided to come back to the U.S. to at least be able to train, and now, even in phase three, there’s still a padlock on the gate.
“I understand the concerns regarding the cracks, however there are a couple of courts where the cracks are in out-of-play areas and pose no threat to injury,” she added. “Furthermore, there’s more than enough distance between the players to accommodate social distancing.”
“When the tennis programs were cut, we were told that we could still use the facilities,” Nanere told the board. “But as it turns out, the tennis courts are still locked up to this point. I feel like it is enough to take our team away from us. Some of my teammates and I are going to transfer to another school, and we need to prepare and be physically ready in order to compete again next semester. We are aware of the cracks, and we understand the consequences. However, there are still some courts that are playable.”
Abhimanyu Vannemreddy, a former Winthrop tennis player from India, stressed to the Board that the “Save Winthrop Tennis” initiative was not seeking to denigrate the university, but instead to preserve a program and lifestyle integral for many Winthrop community members.
“I think, firstly, it’s important for everyone to realize what tennis means to me and my colleagues. We have been playing this sport since we were five or six years old, and the fact that we’ve made so many sacrifices at such a young age has to be considered when making such a big decision,” Vammereddy told the board. “I personally had to live away from my family and friends since the age of nine just for tennis. That’s how important it is. So it’s really sad to receive a Zoom call on a random Wednesday saying that whatever you worked for [for] fifteen years is now gone.”
“On behalf of not just the tennis players, but the behalf of all students at Winthrop, I just request that you give us the right to choose, the right to grow as individuals, and the right to bring back this program,” Vannemreddy said.
Following his comments to the Board, Vannemreddy told The Johnsonian that he is uncertain of whether he will remain at Winthrop or transfer to another school, and that he has not committed to any university yet.
Photo by Kaily Paddle
