Tennis professional Diego Schwartzman is honored by the Jewish sports club where he started

TIGRE, Argentina (JTA) – One of Argentina’s most important Jewish community centers was inaugurated in honor of Diego Schartzman, the hero of his hometown of tennis.

Schwartzman, currently ranked 13th in the world, was present at a ceremony in Tigre on December 11, when the Hacoaj Sports Club opened a new building and tennis lounge at one of the region’s largest tennis venues.

Schwartzman grew up playing tennis in a downtown area “Diego ‘Peque’ Schwartzman” in his honor. “Peque” is a nickname meaning short or “children”; The 5-foot, 7-inch-long Schartzman is one of the shorter top tennis professionals in men.

“I am very happy to start playing tennis here. I am very grateful to be here for the appointment of the Central Court. It is very special, I try to enjoy the moment,” Schwartzman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “It’s a beautiful club, a beautiful country. , it’s very special to me.

Schwartzman’s parents were also present. Her mother Silvana grabbed photos and sang “Peque, Peque” with the children attending the ceremony. Ricardo, his father, was close to tears throughout the incident.

“This place was very different when I came to mess with my friends,” Schwartzman said. – Some days we kids just played in front of the wall, there weren’t enough fields, so the big boys didn’t let our kids play, so I practiced against the wall.

“Years later, some of them still didn’t want me to play … but it was because I started hitting them,” he added a wide smile on his face.

Hacoaj (Hebrew for “power”) is a sports and cultural club with about 7,500 members in Tigre, in the northern part of the province of Buenos Aires.

The event was attended by the mayor of Tiger and the leaders of the Jewish umbrella group DAIA, the sports federation FACCMA and the Jewish charity Tzedaka Foundation. A representative of the National Tennis Association AAT announced that the international “Tigre Cup” will be held for the first time in Hacoaj next January.

Schwartzman inaugurated in front of the court a sign higher than him that includes the highlights of his name and career: “Born and raised in Hacoaj. Top 10 Tennis Worldwide (2020). Representative of the Olympics. Member of the Davis Cup Argentina team. Talent, perseverance, Jewish values, humility. The symbol and pride of Hacoaj. “

At the opening of the new field, Schwartzman played tennis for a few minutes with three Hacoaj members.