Annual Outreach Football Tournament held

For the second time in two years the German Embassy and the Deutsche Schule of Pretoria (DPS) organised the Outreach Football Tournament on 26 October.

Again 10 of our 20 partner schools from Eersterust and Mamelodi participated in this event. They were chosen according to the principal ‘First come, first serve’, and the following 10 schools enrolled first: Motheo, Uoane, Moretele, Pula-Difate, Sikhanyisele, Tshimollo, Bohlabatsatsi, Norridge Park, Boikgantsho and Mogale Primary School. Two more teams of the DSP joined the tournament. None of the football players were over the age of 11, so a fair competition could be guaranteed.

All teams and their two coaches arrived very eager to play and to win. The children played passionately and thanks to the six referees in charge, all matches ended peacefully and fair. After the round robin that lasted for three hours, Motheo, Mogale, Boikgantsho Primary Schools and the team two of the DSP started into the semifinals. It was welcoming to see that the DSP 2 team, which did not make it to the semifinals last year, performed extraordinarily well and won the tournament. The teams of Motheo and Mogale ended in second and third place.

After every team, regardless of their place in the tournament, had received three footballs, a football air pump, a whistle and certificates for all their players, the three winning teams came on stage. Together with their certificates, they could also take home trophies and medals and could choose from other prizes which included two goal posts, football cones, slalom posts and fibs. All these prizes were sponsored by the German Embassy.

The DSP had arranged for the talented Ubuntu Dance Group from Mamelodi to open the tournament by performing cultural South African dances that integrated with the football theme.

The DSP is looking forward to next year’s tournament and it would love to say thank you to each and everybody who has been involved in making this tournament a huge success.