“The first free black man I have ever seen.”

Fifty years ago, Arthur Ash ignored a great achievement, annoyed the difficulties and became the first black man to win the Wimbledon men when he beat his American teammate Jimmy Connors – but he was nothing that wanted to determine his life.

His battle to break the barriers about racial discrimination was closer to his heart – and the apartheid in South Africa became one of the reasons for his battle.

He said in an interview with the BBC a year before his death in 1993: “I do not want to remember in the final analysis of Wimbledon … I receive applause to do so, but this is not the most important thing in my life – not even soon.”

However, he was welcomed by winning the center’s court on July 5, 1975 as one of those sports moments that prevent the spine that stopped everyone in their paths, whether it was a tennis lover or not, and it is celebrated with a special show in the Wimbledon Museum.

Ash was already in his thirties, tall and calm with calm behavior and mood. Konors, who was 10 years old and defense champion, was an aggressive player and often described him as “Brattish”.

The Ash’s achievements, the skills and courage he showed in court are conforming to his actions.

In the early 1970s, South Africa has repeatedly rejected a visa to travel to the country alongside other American players.

The white government has begun an extremist system of apartheid, known as the apartheid – or an apartment – in 1948.

The authorities said that the decision to prevent him was based on his “general hostility” and explicit notes on South Africa.

However, in 1973, the government fell and Ash gave a visa to play in the South Africa Open, which was one of the best championships in the world at the time.

This was the first visit to South Africa, and although he stipulated that it will only play on the condition that the stadium is open to both black and white spectators, it sparked anger among anti -Apartheid activists in the United States and the strong opposition from the departments of black society in South Africa.

British journalist and tennis historian Richard Evans, who became a life friend, was a member of the Press Corps on the South Africa tour.

He says that Ash was “painfully aware of” criticism and accusation that he was somehow to give legitimacy to the South African government – but he was determined to see himself how people lived there.

He felt he was always asking about South Africa, but he was never. He said: “How can I comment on a place I do not know? I need to see it and issue a ruling. And even go, I can’t do that. “

Evans recalls that during the tour, the writer and poet in South Africa without Mattra had organized for Ash to meet a group of black journalists, but the atmosphere was tense and hostile.

“When I passed a person, Ivans told the BBC,” I heard someone say: “Uncle Tom” – used to wear a black person who is a servant towards the eggs.

Then, one of the very loud journalists stood up and said: “Arthur, go home. We don’t want you here. You just make it easier for the government to be able to show that it allows someone like you. “

But not all South African Africa was strongly opposed to the presence of Ash in the country.

South African and academic author Mark Metaban grew up in the town of Alexandra – known as Alex – in northern Johannesburg. Such towns were created under the apartheid system on the outskirts of cities to live without eggs.

He was first aware of ASHE as a boy while accompanying his grandmother to her gardening function in the palace of a British family in the suburb of eggs only.

The lady of the house gave him in Life Edition from September 1968 from her collection, and there, on the front cover, Arthur Ash was on the network.

Mathabane was fascinated by the picture and its cover line, “The iceothel Arthur Ash” – and set out to simulate it.

When Ash went on the 1973 round, Mathabane had only one task – to meet Ash, or at least approach him.

The opportunity came when Ash took time to compete to hold a tennis clinic in Soweto, the town of South Johannesburg.

The 13 -year -old Mathabane made the train trip to get there and joined dozens of black people – most of whom were young – who turned into the tennis star, who gave the title “Sipho”.

“Perhaps it was a pride white for white people, but for us, blacks were Sepho. It is the word Zulu of the gift,” Macaban, 64, told BBC.

“You know, a gift from God, from the grandparents, and this means that this is invaluable, take care of it. Seifu here, Seifio from America here.”

He said that the excitement that was created in the Soweto clinic was not only present on that town, but it spread throughout the country.

From rural reservations to Shebens or Speakesies (Babs) – wherever Blacks gathered, they were talking about Ash’s visit.

“For me, he was literally the first free black man I have ever seen,” Mazaban said.

After the 1973 tour, Ash returned to South Africa several times. In early 1976, he helped establish the ASTC AASTC center for emerging players in the town.

But shortly after its opening, the center was vandalized in the uprisings led by students against the racist system that broke out in June of that year.

She remained negligent and in a bad condition for several years before she underwent a great renewal in 2007, and was reopened by the widow of the Ash Jin Mousami.

The complex now contains 16 courts, and hosts a library and skills development center.

The ambition is the production of the tennis star and Grand Slam from the town – and myths such as Serena and Venus Williams have operated clinics there.

For Mothobi Seseli and MASODI XABA, who were previously heroes for national youth in South Africa and are now sitting on ASTC, the center exceeds tennis.

They feel that it is essentially the implantation of work ethics that adopts a set of life skills and self -faith.

“We are building young leaders,” Mrs. XABA, a successful businesswoman, told BBC.

“When I think about what his legacy is, it is believed that, on the smallest standards, we can move the phone call in very big ways.”.

Ash was initially inclined to challenge the apartheid through talks and participation, believing that by being visible and winning in the country’s matches, he could undermine the basis of the system.

But his experience inside South Africa, and international pressure from the anti -apartheid movement, convinced him that isolation instead of sharing would be the most effective way to make change in South Africa.

He became a strong defender and supporter of the international sports district of South Africa, and he spoke to the United Nations and the American Congress.

In 1983, at a joint press conference established by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and Un, he talked about the goals of artists and athletes against the apartheid, which he just participated in its founding with American singer Harry Bellafonti.

The organization pressed sanctions against the South African government, and was at the height of more than 500 members.

Ash joined many protests and gatherings, and when he was arrested outside the South African embassy in Washington, DC in 1985, she drew international attention to the issue and helped inflate the global condemnation of the South African regime.

The captain of the American Davis Cup was at the time, and he always felt that the arrest cost him his job.

Ash used his platform to counter social injustice wherever he sees, not only in Africa and South Africa, but also in the United States and Haiti.

He was also a teacher on many issues, specifically HIV/AIDS, which he surrendered, after contracting the disease from blood transfusion during heart surgery in the early eighties.

But he had a special rapprochement with the black population of South Africa who live under a repressive system.

He said he got to know them because of his upbringing in Richmond, separately, in the US state of Virginia.

It is no wonder that Ash was one of the main figures whose anti -Africa champion in South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was keen to meet on a trip to New York, and invited him to a repetitive Town Rost in 1990 after his release from 27 years in prison.

The couple met on a few occasions, but Ash did not live to see Mandela became president of South Africa after the 1994 elections, which brought democratic rule and dismantling the apartheid.

But like Ash, Mandela managed to use sport to pay for change – by helping to unify South Africa – especially during the 1995 Rajabi World Cup When he was wearing a Springbowk shirtOnce, a symbol of dismissal from the apartheid.

To celebrate the anniversary of this year of the Winning of Ash, the Wimbledon Championship has a installation in the tunnel of the International Tennis Center and the display of a new museum on it. They also take a workshop on the road to celebrate its achievement.

The title of Wimbledon was the third Grand Slam, after he previously won the United States and Australia.

But for many people like Mathabane – who in 1978 became the first South African blacks to win a tennis grant for an American university – Arthur Ash’s legacy was his activity, not his forgetfulness.

He said: “He was literally helping to free my mind from those mental chains of self -doubt, from believing a great lie about your inferiority and the fact that you are governed by repeating the work of your parents as a quarrel.”

“This was magic – because it was showing the possibilities.”