Northam Booysendal soccer tournament completed successfully
BBR Community Forum was announced as the winners of the 2022 Booysendal Soccer Tournament.
The 2022 Booysendal Soccer Tournament finals were played at the Rooikatte sports grounds in Lydenburg on August 6. The games attracted an avalanche of spectators from all corners of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM).
Among the dignitaries were former Premier Soccer League (PSL) player Khutso Mohwatseleng, formerly with Baroka FC, management from the Northam Booysendal Mine led by Ziningi Shezi and Pius Monyela, representatives of the South African Football Association (Safa), scouts, representatives from local forums and the members from the organising committee.
The games started with a curtain-raiser, which saw TCLM locking horns with the Northam Booysendal team. The match was played by employees from both Booysendal and TCLM. After an entertaining 90 minutes of play which saw the teams draw 2-2, it was left to the dreaded penalties to determine the winner of the friendly match. Booysendal were clinical in their spot kicks as they converted all five of their penalties. TCLM missed a single penalty to lose the match 5-4. The spectacular penalty, which saw Booysendal win, was scored by none other than Jack Selowa wearing jersey number 15.
The main responsibilities of the day saw BBR being confirmed as the winners of the 2022 Northam Booysendal Soccer tournament. The runners-up in this year’s tourney were confirmed as Skhila United. Skhila defeated MUF United 5-4 in penalties, after the teams had drawn 0-0 during normal time. The bronze medallists were MUF United. All the finalists during the games played in Booysendal-branded soccer jerseys, like all teams that competed in the tournament.
On the day, there was entertainment galore as local DJs, dancers, commentators and chanting fans kept the vibe high. There were glorious chants and appreciation for what Booysendal was doing for local communities. Best players throughout the tournament were nominated and will be rewarded with trophies and medals. They will be included in the best 11 team. The stakeholder engagement co-ordinator at Booysendal, Jack Selowa, said the tournament was a huge success as it unearthed hidden talents in and around local communities.
He indicated that they want locals to participate in sporting activities and have decided to organise the sport spectacle annually. “We saw many stars during this tourney, and we are pleased that locals are focusing on sports. We wish to see some of the stars from our shores representing the country on sporting activities at top level. “We would like to also thank our partners, sponsors, and community forums for making this tournament a success. It has been a long journey.
“We are calling for more sponsors to come forward and assist as we want 2023 tournament to be bigger than it was today, as we are to look at more sporting codes. We appreciate the support from our general manager, Wonderboy Kekana, for being a leader of these great initiative.” The stakeholder engagement manager of Booysendal, Pius Monyela, shared Selowa’s sentiments. The duo said the initiative is aimed at bringing back issues of moral regeneration.
“A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Most young people are roaming the streets, and some are taking drugs, jeopardising their futures. We want to ensure that we create a conducive and safe environment for our local youth and further give them hope by such an initiative and to deter them from using substances. This isn’t just a sports event, but will aid in integrating and finding a common ground for youth development. As Booysendal, we are committed to investing in and shaping local talent in sports.
“According to the Booysendal management, the tournament was held in an effort to strengthen the relationships the mine has with its local communities. Ziningi Shezi, the human resources manager at Booysendal, cheered the playing teams and enjoyed herself at the games, and indicated that “we have never envisaged the high level of impact of this initiative. We really appreciate all the role players as they have given their all to live to our motto, Head and Shoulders Above the Rest.”
Furthermore, she indicated that they will definitely ensure that the coming years become better than this year, as 2022 was the launch. Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Gerald Khoza of Bilnor Projects said they are committed to supporting initiatives that are for the development and creation of social cohesion in local communities. He further appreciated other sponsors and requested additional businesses to come on board and support them when it comes to issues of community development. The Booysendal Soccer Tournament was first launched on July 2 at Mashishing Stadium.
Sixteen teams legally recognised by the Northam Booysendal South Mine Stakeholder Engagement Forums participated. The winners (BBR Community Forum) thanked Booysendal for this great initiative. “We thank the mine for this platform to showcase our talents. We were happy with the setup and how the tourney unfolded. We are glad our team has won the trophy and is the best in the Thaba Chweu area,” said the team managers.
The winners took home a floating trophy, a R20 000 winning prize, and gold medals. The runners up Skhila FC took home R5 000 and silver medals and the third team also took home medals andR2 500 cash prizes.
The prizes were sponsored by Moletsi Telecommunications, one of the contractors at Northam Booysendal and Mergunal, a local 100% black female owned company in Lydenburg. Refreshments during the games were provided by the Booysendal Mine.
