- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: NELSON MANDELA CHARITY TENNIS TOURNAMENT
- Date: 12th December 1998
- Summary: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, NEAR CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (DECEMBER 11, 1997) 1. WIDE SHOT STEENBERG GOLF CLUB 2. ANDRE AGASSI TEES OFF 3. AGASSI SPEAKING IN ENGLISH - "I FEEL LIKE I'M IN HEAVEN. I MEAN THIS IS ABSOLUTE PARADISE HERE." 4. LUKE JENSEN PITCHING 5. WAYNE FERREIRA TEE SHOT 6. FERREIRA SPEAKING - "WE DON'T GET MANY CHANCES TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND BE A PART OF HELPING IN THE FUND FOR MANDELA AND KIDS AND THINGS LIKE THIS. SO EVERY TIME I GET THE OPPORTUNITY WE TAKE IT UP." 7. TODD MARTIN PUTTING 8. MARTIN SPEAKING - "IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO TAKE TENNIS TO A NEW AREA AND ALSO TO MEET THE PRESIDENT. HE'S A FANTASTIC MAN AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING HIM." 9. MALIVAI WASHINGTON SPEAKING TO FRANKIE FREDERICKS 10. FREDERICKS PLAYING GOLF 11. FREDRICKS SPEAKING - "IT MEANS A LOT, OBVIOUSLY, GROWING UP IN THIS REGION, DREAMING ABOUT THE DAY WE COULD HAVE FREEDOM AND KNOWING THAT HE WAS THE ULTIMATE. WHENEVER HE'S GOING TO COME OUT OF JAIL IS GOING TO BE THE DAY THE WHOLE REGION WILL BE PEACEFUL. SO IT WAS NICE AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING HIM." 12. WASHINGTON TEE 13. WASHINGTON SOUNDBITE - "WELL I THINK THE TRIBUTE FOR NELSON MANDELA IS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING EVENT. I WAS JUST HAPPY I WAS ASKED TO PLAY AND ONCE I WAS ASKED IT WAS LIKE - JEEZ, I'D LOVE TO GO. I'VE NEVER BEEN TO SOUTH AFRICA AND AS IT WAS A TRIBUTE BENEFITTING HIS CHILDREN'S FUND I WAS PRETTY HAPPY TO DO THAT BECAUSE I LOVE TO WORK WITH KIDS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS AROUND THE WORLD WITH KIDS AND WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS I JUMPED ON IT." 14. SHOTS OF VERGELEGEN WINERY 15. PLAYERS ARRIVE 16. FERREIRA AND WIFE LIESL 17. BORIS AND BARBARA BECKER 18. ANDRE AGASSI WITH HIS WIFE BROOKE SHIELDS 19. NELSON MANDELA ARRIVES 20. AGASSI AND SHIELDS MEET MANDELA 21. AMANDA COETZER (ON LEFT) AND IVA MAJOLI MEET MANDELA 22. WAYNE AND LIESL FERREIRA MEET MANDELA 23. PHOTOGRAPHERS 24. FREDERICKS WITH MANDELA 25. RICHARD KRAJICEK WITH MANDELA 26. BECKER WATCHING 27. LEANDER PAES MEETS MANDELA 28. WASHINGTON WITH MANDELA 29. MARTIN WITH MANDELA 30. BORIS AND BARBARA BECKER WITH MANDELA 31. MANDELA SPEAKING AT DINNER - "IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE STRUGGLE OF OUR PEOPLE HERE, SUPPORTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. TENNIS STARS REFUSED TO COME TO SOUTH AFRICA TO PLAY HERE IN SPITE OF HUGE OFFERS OF SUMS WHICH WOULD PERHAPS HAVE ENABLED THEM TO RETIRE FOR LIFE. IN ROBBYN ISLAND, WE PLAYED MANY GAMES. WE PLAYED TENNIS. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A CONCRETE COURT NEVERTHELESS WE ENJOYED COMPETING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. NONE OF US BECAME INTERNATIONAL STARS BUT NEVERTHELESS THE LOOKED UPON IT AS IF WE WERE BORIS BECKERS, AMANDA COETZERS, YANNICK NOAHS AND SO ON." 32. AGASSI PRESENTED WITH TROPHY BY MANDELA 33. BECKER RECEIVES TROPHY BUT DROPS IT XXX 34. SHIELDS SPEAKING - "I PRAYED FOR HIM. I WAS THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO MEET HIM AND THEN THE REALITY HAPPENED AND I HAVE TO SAY HE HAS SUCH GRACE AND SUCH PRESCENCE AND SUCH BEAUTY." 35. AGASSI SPEAKING EMOTIONALLY - "TO BE HERE TONIGHT IS LITERALLY THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS. HE'S ONE OF THE GREATEST MEN IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 26th December 1998 12:00
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- Location: VARIOUS NEAR CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
- City:
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: LVA37HFPT1BZFMX2O050V4BIJUDO
- Story Text:Some of the most famous names in tennis, including Andre Agassi of the United States and Germany's Boris Becker are in South Africa to compete for charity in the Nelson Mandela exhibition tournament The players agreed to appear in the South African tournament as a tribute to the country's president with all proceeds going to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.
They began their visit on Saturday (December 6) with a four-day safari at the Singita private game reserve and attended a dinner hosted by President Mandela on Thursday (December 11).
Agassi was accompanied by his actress wife Brooke Shields.Other tennis stars included Richard Krijicek of the Netherlands, French Open champion Iva Majoli, Americans Malivai Washington, Luke Jensen and Todd Martin, Leander Paes of India and South Africa's best male and female players Wayne Ferriera and Amanda Coetzer.Namibian track star Frankie Fredericks was also there to give his support.
The three-day tournament, which is a round robin event, begins in Cape Town on Friday (December 12).
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