Young soccer players receive new football kits
The youngsters also got a chance to meet and play ball with their soccer heroes
YOUNG budding football players were all smiles when they received brand new soccer kits at football team Mamelodi Sundowns’ home grounds in Chloorkop on Thursday last week.
The initiative was the result of a partnership between Sundowns and Nedbank to contribute to football development at a grassroots level by providing full soccer kits and training equipment to a number of Pretoria-based primary schools.
The event was part of Sundowns’ media open day ahead of their Nedbank Cup semi-final home match with Vasco Da Gama.
Beneficiaries included Pretoria-based Mthunzini and Motshegofadiwa Primary Schools as well as Soshanguve East Secondary.
The cherry on top came when the ecstatic learners got a chance to kick a few balls around with some of their favourite soccer stars, including Teko Modise, Bongani Zungu and Cuthbert Malajila.
The kids could hardly contain their excitement when meeting their sports role models.
Grade 5 pupil, Innocent Mavimbela of Mthunzini Primary in Mamelodi, said it felt so good meeting his idol Teko Modise that he “almost fainted”.
His school coach and former professional soccer player, Edward “Teargas” Tsie, who played for teams such as Mamelodi United FC and Vaal Reef Stars, said Mavimbela was full of talent and passion for the game, but reminded him that education and soccer went hand in hand.
“You cannot have the one without the other. Education always comes first. He knows that if he hasn’t completed his homework, there is no soccer for him,” Tsie said.
Nedbank’s goal of laying a solid foundation for sports development through its partnership with the Sports Trust has yielded incredible results over the years by reaching more than 500 schools and investing in excess of R60 million into the project.
During this year’s Nedbank Cup season alone, a further 100 schools across the country will receive soccer gear and training equipment worth R1 million.
Nedbank’s Senior Group Communications Manager, Nkosinathi Msiza, believes sports development and education are the key building blocks in the development of society.
“Therefore as Nedbank, we are continuously searching for opportunities that can enable people to make things that really matter happen. Nedback wants to turn dreams into a reality and it is through such initiatives that we help our communities in making their dreams a reality,” Msiza commented.
