Meet a member: Lorna Krog, IC of South Africa

Dubbed ‘South Africa’s first lady of tennis’, Lorna Krog is considered the doyenne of South African Veterans Tennis specifically, although she has also been involved in every other section of the game, namely Juniors, Open and Wheelchair.

Over 35 years ago, Lorna was one of a group of passionate individuals who established the SA Veterans Association. Today, she can be considered as the single most influential force behind the rise of Masters tennis in South Africa. As Chairmen and committee members came and went, she remained and continued to co-ordinate all the affairs and activities, including all administration, trips and tours undertaken by the members, the selection of National teams, inter-provincial tournaments, the SA National Championships and all the other local Masters events including those on the annual calendar (12-15 per year). She was CEO of the Masters Organisation until the integration with the SA Tennis Association in 2007, this in the interests of having all tennis in the country under one umbrella body. During her tenure she was responsible for raising the sponsorship of most Masters’ National Championships, Inter-provincial tournaments and World Championships held in this country (of which she organized, co-directed and directed three).

After the Masters was integrated with the National Association, she remained employed by the Association to continue running Masters tennis in the country. However, she was also part of the Tournament Committee which staged the SA Open from 2009 to 2011 after the SA Tennis Association was awarded a three-year contract by the ATP. She was a tough but fair administrator and was (still is) immensely popular with local and international players alike.

Also In 2007, Lorna was elected to serve on the Executive of the ITF and as part of her duties, was responsible for co-ordinating various age-groups at the World Team Events which were held in Turkey, New Zealand and Austria, to name but three.

Invited to become a member of the International Club by virtue of her contribution nationally and internationally to Tennis, Lorna was also part of the IC’s organizing committee which staged the Columbus Cup at Sun City in 2000.

For 13 years, Lorna was the Match Control Manager for The Nike Junior Tour International Masters.

Match Control is a key role for the success of the tournament and her expertise in this field is world class according to the Referees with whom she has worked at these tournaments – this includes Michel Renaux, the renowned French Referee. Nike Junior events have been held in South Africa, The Bahamas, France, Spain, Italy, the USA and the Dominican Republic. 

Lorna retired in 2011, but despite her passion for her grandchildren and her rose garden, she has been brought out of retirement on numerous occasions to assist and direct events since then. She still annually runs a highly successful Ladies doubles event at Sun City and served as the Honorary President of the International Club for six years.   

Whilst Lorna’s passion has been directed largely at administration, she is also an above average player, having been a SA ranked player in her age-group nearly all her Veterans life.

Hurricane Refugees Enjoy Tennis Clinic

As part of The North American IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge in The Bahamas, 25 kids who are refugees from Hurricane Dorian enjoyed a tennis clinic run by coaches and the junior players participating in the Junior Challenge.

In September, Hurricane Dorian devastated two northern Islands of The Bahamas and for almost two months the kids in the clinic have been living in temporary accommodation on the capital island in Nassau.

On the second day of the Junior Challenge, 25 refugee kids were brought to The National Tennis Centre where the coaches and juniors were initially organised in to four groups. There were juniors from each country put in to every group which also helped them get to know each other. Over the next two hours the refugee kids then rotated through the groups in a series of different fun drills which they enjoyed.

At the end they were split in to groups to have a volleying match with soft balls across a tennis court. The juniors in The Junior Challenge went behind and to the side of the refugee kids to help keep the rallies going. There was much laughter and everyone enjoyed the whole event.

Before the kids left they were given small gifts and a tennis ball so they could hopefully continue some of the fun games they had back at their temporary homes.

Overall it was a great success and a superb experience for both the refugee kids and the juniors from The Junior Challenge. Perry Newton, the BLTA Head of Junior Development was also involved and is looking in to ways of continuing future clinics for these unfortunate refugee kids.

It was a good example of the IC Philosophy of "Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean" as the kids had crossed the Bahamas seas to come from their devastated island to the main Bahamas Island where they are currently living. The Philanthropy Clinic also helped the Juniors in the Challenge appreciate their own good fortune and it provided a lesson in "Giving back".