Action at Giyani Build it tournament
Giyani Build it, in conjunction with Giyani Superspar, hosted its fourth annual u/13 soccer tournament at Giyani stadium recently
Orlando Chauke
LIMPOPO – Giyani Build it, in conjunction with Giyani Superspar, hosted its fourth annual u/13 soccer tournament at Giyani stadium recently, where winners walked away with team kits, trophies, medals, bags and balls.
This year’s tournament took a new shape with an inclusion of girls in the netball category, adding value to what was previously known as a boys only tournament.
Giyani Build it has been hosting the u/13 boys’ tournament annually for the past three years. The tournament’s impact and popularity resulted in a call from schools to include girls in the tournament, hence the inclusion of netball this year, which is co-sponsored by Giyani Superspar.
12 finalists out of 60 primary schools that participated in the tournament battled it out in the tournament.
In the soccer category, Tlharihani Primary School lifted the tournament’s cup followed by Thomo Primary School in the netball category.
The Build it u/13 soccer initiative is said to be fast becoming a recognised brand in the soccer industry and is regarded by some within the South African Football Association (Safa) as the finest youth development programme in the country.
This is one of the reasons why it is run in conjunction with Safa.
According to Andre Steenkamp, manager of Giyani Build it, the aim of the event is to groom potential soccer stars that will play professional football in the country. “As a company, we believe in giving back to the community in a way that will take kids off the streets; it is our wish to be part of the future generation as far as soccer is concerned,” he said.
Abraham Manganyi, the head of sport at the Giyani Municipality, said the initiative was not only about children playing football, but also about bringing the excitement of soccer to the community’s doorstep.
“It is through these kinds of initiatives that society can achieve prosperity in the face of poverty and unemployment,” he said.
He further congratulated both Build it and Superspar for their efforts in helping the government to take children off the streets.
