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Dingilizwe Ntuli and Ricky Zililo
LARRY Katz, who changed the face of Zimbabwean tennis by introducing the game to young black players in Bulawayo’s western suburbs in the 1980s through his National Tennis Development (NTD), has died.

He was 63.

Katz passed away on Tuesday at the Donald Gordon Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, after a long battle with cancer.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and although novel treatments were found for him in Bangalore, India, a few iatrogenic mishaps led to some complications starting in 2018. He died from complications of septicaemia.

Katz was born in Bulawayo on February 4, 1957, and did his schooling at Carmel Primary and Milton High School.

He played tennis for Matabeleland and Rhodesia, and because of his passion for the game, he founded the NTD after independence and set up centres in Bulawayo’s western suburbs to get black players to play the sport, which until then had been a preserve of the white minority.

The tennis centres were set up in Barbourfields, Waterford, Luveve, White City, Raylton, Tshabalala, Eveline and Emakhandeni, and Katz actively mentored and personally funded the development programmes in these areas.

Katz’s NTD programme was so successful that the Tennis Association of Zimbabwe (now Tennis Zimbabwe) borrowed his model and duplicated it into a blueprint for tennis development in other regions of the country.

Tributes have been pouring in from some recipients of the NTD, among them the United States-based Patrick Mlauzi, the first black Zimbabwean player to be awarded a tennis scholarship by an American university.

Other black players that benefitted from NTD were broadcaster Dave Simba, Abraham Ngwenya, Dallas Siso, Kabelo Masiyane, Michael Tshuma and Million Phiri, among others.

Mlauzi said Katz helped him secure a scholarship to the United States under a programme called “Academics for African Athletes” in 1987.

“He paid all fees for the programme and did a lot of co-ordinating. He raised money for me to get here and did all the co-ordination to get me to the United States,” said Mlauzi.

“Larry told me he didn’t want to see me again until I graduated. I studied accounting and business and have been working for a top five bank in the world for the last 20 years. Larry’s effort changed thousands of lives, including the lives of me and my family. He was an angel, who funded NTD for years using his own money. When I was in the Zimbabwe team, I was always the only black player. We have come a long way. I am now dedicated to NTD,” said Mlauzi.

Simba described Katz as a champion of equal opportunities for talented players.

“We had the likes of Dallas Siso, Kabelo Masiyane, Mkhululi Khupe, Abraham Ngwenya and myself knocking at national teams because of his influence. Larry was instrumental in getting us playing mainly for Matabeleland, giving us racquets, tennis balls and sometimes tennis clothing,” said Simba.

“Larry continued to pour out from his pocket funding all NTD projects. This story would not be complete without mentioning Wellington Sibanda, who hailed from Emakhandeni and is now the Botswana national tennis coach. Prince Madema was to become Development Officer for East Africa under the International Tennis Federation and was looking after 13 countries. We were humbled to be given such an opportunity in life. Many who came through Larry’s hands are now successful men that have done well in life,” he said.

Emakhandeni Tennis Club coach Witness Jiyane said they have lost a legend, who believed in development of tennis.

“We lost a legend, a hero who played a role in who we are today through his generosity. Tears may dry, but memories live on,” said Jiyane.

Botswana’s national tennis coach Sibanda described Katz as a hero, who was always ready to source equipment for the club.

“Our first contingent of Arthur Ashe racquets motivated us a lot. We represented Matabeleland province with pride through his guidance and we salute him for what he did for us,” said Sibanda.

Former tennis player Barbara Nkomazana said she would not have had an opportunity to play tennis or develop a passion for it had it not been for the NTD.

“Tennis has been at the core of my life success and I can say the same with confidence for most of my NTD global family. His selflessness, sacrifice and unconditional love will never be forgotten. I am what I am today because of that seed that was planted back in the 1980s for kids like me growing up in the dusty townships of Bulawayo,” Nkomazana said.

Another beneficiary of the NTD Fortune Khuphe credited Katz with bringing professional tennis to Zimbabwe and the Sadc region.

“Those satellite professional tennis circuits that had stops in Botswana, Zambia, Bulawayo and Harare were put together by Larry and then he passed it on to (the) Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe tennis associations. We had not seen professional tennis other than the Davis Cup before, especially in Bulawayo,” Khupe said.

Ndabezinhle Moyo, who broke into the Milton High first team when he was in Form 2 in 1987, hailed Katz for the support he always gave to all young black players.

“Primarily through tennis I was able to achieve much in my high school years as well as lay foundations for what I then did post school. I believe that his leadership of NTD as well as personal support gave the impetus for me to be focused and disciplined and I’m sure I speak for a lot of many other NTD alumni,” said Moyo.