Solly Malatsi Legacy Foundation kicks off with tourney

The Solly Malatsi Legacy Foundation’s draw on Sunday will determine the order of play for its football tournament scheduled for next weekend and the first weekend in August, for which Polokwane Observer acts as print media partner along with a host of other sponsors on board.
The foundation, established by Democratic Alliance (DA) Parliamentarian Solly Malatsi, is scheduled to follow up on an earlier undertaking to empower young players with a tournament stretching over two weekends.
The event is to be hosted at Junior Chiefs Sportsgrounds in Madiga Village between Solomondale and Turfloop. Both days the events are set to start at 10:00 with the finals to be played at 15:00 on the afternoon of 6 August.
During a visit to Polokwane Observer’s offices on Tuesday Malatsi said 16 senior teams from Polokwane, Ga-Chuene and Ga-Sekgopo were expected to compete for the big cash prize of R10 000, a floating trophy, medals and a new soccer kit. Second place will land the runners-up cash of R5 000, medals and a soccer kit and third and fourth places R2 500 respectively. Two u.15 teams would play in curtain-raisers before the finals.
Apart from Polokwane Observer, the other sponsors are Polokwane Municipality that pledged soccer balls and equipment, Umbro for football wear, football hampers and a trophy, Build It at Paledi Mall in Man­kweng contributing cash, Sasol Turfloop for trophies and medals, Spanish La Liga’s African office in Sandton in Gauteng donating 100 soccer balls for distribution to teams and young football enthusiasts, Score for energy drinks for teams in the semi-finals and finals as well as Futurelife for nutritional drinks for all teams.
On the involvement of Polo­kwane Municipality, Malatsi said it was a sign of greater things to come and indicated that the institution seemed very keen to take the relationship forward.
Malatsi was joined by co-director of the foundation, Matt Mochitele, who expressed excitement about the upcoming tournament. He, too, will be playing for Madiga Junior Chiefs, the hosts for the event, in the tournament.