Football teams come together in support of Cansa
“Some teams went all out with their coach to just really embody the spirit of the tournament and enjoy the day.”
Edenvale Football Club’s annual Pink Tournament has grown from strength to strength with a record number of teams participating in this year’s tournament.
Held on October 19 and 20, soccer teams from surrounding areas flocked to Edenvale Sports Grounds for the fundraising tournament which has become a tradition for EFC.
Funds raised by the tournament will be donated to the Cancer Association of South Africa.
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The tournament catered for players from U6 to U12.
On October 19 the U6, U8, U10 and U12 teams competed while on October 20 the U7, U9 and U11 took to the field.
Started several years ago, the tournament was organised by EFC chairperson Tony Dias and the club’s committee.
The tournament was first held in 2016 to create awareness about cancer. It started after Dias himself had a brush with cancer.
According to EFC’s vice chairperson, Natalie Hawken, this year’s tournament was a resounding success.
She said everything flowed smoothly, and the teams had a great time.
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Hawken said this year the tournament raised approximately R30 000 for Cansa.
Speaking about the growth of the tournament Hawken said this year 102 teams registered to compete.
Last year 91 teams took part in the two-day fundraiser tournament.
“Every year we grow in numbers,” said Hawken
Hawken said because of the number of players, tournament organisers had to split the teams into smaller groups.
She said this worked well as teams had more game time.
She said, “It’s always a highlight to see the children enjoying themselves and just really playing for fun.
“Some teams went all out with their coach to just really embody the spirit of the tournament and enjoy the day.”
Dias explained that the day was all about friendly fun and ensuring the players got as much game time as possible.
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He said no scores were kept.
Extending thanks to the community Hawken thanked all of the tournament’s supporters.
“The cause is very close to our hearts, so it is a blessing for us to be able to host this every year and we look forward to 2025’s tournament,” she said.
