Annual Makhado mayoral tournament launched

Different sporting teams will participate in the annual Makhado Mayoral Tournament, which was launched at Louis Trichardt on Monday.

The municipality budgeted R220 000 for the tournament. It will take place on 26 May at Tshakhuma and it will start with a 7,5 km fun walk.

Makhado Mayor Shonisani Sinyosi stated that it was important that future stars' talent be identified at grassroots level. She applauded the sports council for helping to identify the talent of the region's youth.

The winners in soccer, netball, rugby and volleyball will receive R7 500, a floating trophy, new kit and medals, while the runners-up will receive R5 000, a kit and silver medals. The teams that end in the third position will get R3 500, bronze medals and kit.

Sinyosi said that the municipality was very proud to host the annual event. “The importance of sports in the life of young people is valuable and goes much further than the basic answer that it keeps kids off the streets. It does in fact keep young people off the streets, but it also instils lessons that are essential in the life of a human being.”

She added that, through sports, people could learn values such as discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, sacrifice, and accountability. “It is up to the municipality, parents, teachers, sports teams, and schools to help mould, develop and instil these qualities into the lives of young people.”

She added that the mayor’s cup would take a new direction from next year. “We acknowledge that there have been shortcomings in relation to the running of these games during the past. We have developed a policy that will assist us to run these games according to basic rules. This policy will be implemented in next year’s competitions, where we will focus on young people of specifically school-going age.”

She said after the implementation of the policy next year, the municipality should be able to stand up and look back with pride and show the world that it had indeed developed talent such as Rodney Ramagalela, Phumudzo Manenzhe, Luvhengo Mungomeni and runner Mbulaheni Mulaudzi “We will also review how we reward the successful teams as from next year as we will be looking at giving out prizes that will add value to the talents of the young participants.” 

She said sports provided many positive opportunities for the community, especially school children. “Good sportsmanship provides guidelines that can be generalized to classroom and lifelong achievement. It also teaches children to function in a competitive society.”

Sport - Date: 17 May 2018

Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Email: [email protected]