6 December 2006
By Lucky Sindane
THERE is a long tradition of soccer legends in Ekurhuleni, and the Metro is keen to add to it. It has joined hands with five organisers of the off-season soccer tournaments, with the aim of producing new young professional soccer stars.
Executive Mayor Duma Nkosi announced the partnership at a breakfast with all the off-season soccer tournament organisers, held on Monday, 4 December in Carnival City.
The five tournaments, which will take place during the festive season, are the Selope Thema Games in KwaThema, Sekunjalo Games in Kathorus, Phyllis Games in Tembisa, Tshepo Ncholo Games in Tsakane and Ibhola Lethu in Daveyton.
"The municipality sees this as the start of bigger things to come," said Ekurhuleni's spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini. "Now that we have formed this partnership we are convinced that the organisers of the games will bring issues aimed at improving the games to the table and, where we can, we will gladly assist."
Nkosi called on professional soccer players living in Ekurhuleni to participate actively in organising the off-season soccer tournaments. "The involvement of professional soccer players in these games will be a major moral booster for the youngsters who still wish to become professional footballers one day.
"This will also ensure that they plough something back into their communities and improve the standard of the game in Ekurhuleni."
Ekurhuleni is home to several well known professional soccer players, including Jabulani Mendu, Jabu Mahlangu, Siphiwe Mkhonza and Scara Ngobese, to name a few. It is also home to Premier Soccer League team Benoni Premier United.
"We have a very rich history of producing soccer stars," Nkosi said. "Players such as Teenage Dladla, Skeshe Mkhonza, Buda Mathathe and Mike Ntombela are some of those people who put the former East Rand on the map. The legacy left by these legends should not be allowed to die and through the off-season games we are able to produce stars for the future.
"I must also add that through such games we are able to minimise crime because everyone seems to focus on the games and they are off the streets, where they could be exposed to socials ills like that," Nkosi said.
The municipality will prepare all the venues to be used for the off-season soccer games and provide water takers and points. Metro police officers will patrol all the venues to ensure peace and order and the emergency services will be on stand by to assist as well.
"The preparation of the venues, which includes grading the fields and marking the fields, has already begun," said Ekurhuleni's director for sport, recreation, arts and culture, Ezera Tshabangu. "The teams will use the venues free of charge and will pay to use them for the final matches."
Speaking on behalf of the tournaments organisers, former Jomo Cosmos official Seth Twala thanked the municipality for finally getting involved in the games.
"This partnership augurs well for our ultimate goal as the organisers, which it is to produce at least 10 players who will represent us in the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup," Twala said.
Adidas South Africa spokesperson Mike Ntombela said: "We need to bring in soccer legends as well. It is very important that when we organise these games we also involve them in the process ? Coaches need to be brought in as well so that they can identify talent and develop it."
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