Two internationally known sport stars paid Smile90.4FM a visit this week. Former world number one tennis player and winner of 25 major-titles, Martina Hingis dropped by during her first ever visit to the African continent. The 37-year old Swiss, who retired from professional tennis last year, spent 209 weeks as the highest ranked player in the world.
Former American track and field Olympic gold medallist, who won top honours in the 400 meter hurdles both in 1976 and 1984, Edwin Moses accompanied her. The man who received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award last month currently serves as chairman of the Laureus Foundation USA board of trustees, which supports more than 100 sports-based community programs in 35 countries.
The duo co-hosts a fundraising event in Cape Town on Saturday, in support of the Match Development Foundation. An organization that aims to find and support talented children from less fortunate areas, and help them along the way in becoming future tennis stars.
During the interview Hingis revealed she was hoping to explore the Mother City in the coming days, while Moses confirmed that no plans were yet made for a quick run on a scenic Cape route.
Before putting his running shoes away permanently, Moses had won 122 consecutive races, set the world record two more times, won three World Cup titles, a World Championship gold, and earned his second Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles in 1984. He then finished third in the final 400 m hurdles race of his career at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
The pair, who will host the fundraising event free of charge, agreed that supporting children all over the world is now their biggest priority, and hoped to visit countries more frequently doing exactly this.
Upon noticing a map of the Peninsula at the offices of Smile90.4FM, Moses recognized the route as the one he took on when competing in the Cape Town Cycle Tour a few years ago.
Hingis was also challenged to a round of board room table tennis during the visit, take a look at this special occasion here.
