Sports academy in Mamelodi aims to bring out the best
The sports ground keeps boys busy with soccer and girls busy learning to play golf.
An open veld that was used as an illegal dumping site in Mamelodi East has been turned into a mini sports ground.
The ground is situated in Mokwape Street, in Mamelodi East section 15, next to Ghetto community park.
The site is now used to teach boys soccer skills and girls learn to play golf.
Gift Maphakela (36) said: “We helped the local children to set up man-made soccer poles with wood and that is how the soccer team was formed two months ago.”
Maphakela said they formed Mjua Stars football club and Khanya Mamelodi golf academy with the aim of keeping children busy and away from the streets and from drugs and crime.
He said he was motivated by his love of playing golf and he wanted to bring the sport in the community.
Maphakela believes that Mamelodi has a lot of talent and with this mini sports ground they can produce stars.
He said community members helped to clean the once unsightly site used for illegal dumping.
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“Both my boys aged 6 and 10, love to play soccer and now they have a place nearby where they can do so.”
Maphakela said the sports ground kept children busy in the afternoon. “We even managed to organise a soccer tournament with one of the local teams at the ground recently.”
He said a local tuck shop owner, Johannes “Mjuta” Magoro, was also instrumental in developing the site, that apart from being used to dump waste, also accumulated water when it rained heavily.
Maphakela said that former caddie at Silver Lakes golf course, Joseph “Bra Joker” Ramotshela, helped the children by sharing his vast knowledge of golf.
“He achieved an A aggregate at the caddy school/college.”
The golf academy and soccer team want to encourage young children to believe in their dreams “because they can become anything they want in life”.
Maphakela encouraged local businesses to come on board and help with training equipment.
He said Khanya Mamelodi golf academy was in need of mini-golf clubs, while the soccer team needed a sponsorship to register at Mamelodi local football league.
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