BOIPATONG.- Former SAFA President, Dr Molefi Oliphant has encouraged sports participation at school level.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sports Oliphant, who is a former school principal said the sport plays an important role at schools. He reflected back to when he was a principal at Lebohang Secondary School, how he used to invite top football clubs to come and play as part of fundraising for the school. Oliphant said that they managed to build some classrooms with the money they raised with the soccer matches.

“You see those classes on that side, we build that block with the money we raised from soccer matches. I recently attended a meeting at the district and I saw memos from the minister of sports talking about sports participation at school level. As a former school teacher and principal sports was a top priority for me apart from education. I want to see schools go back to those days when Wednesdays were known as sports days,” he said.

When Sedibeng Ster Sport asked him why Lebohang Secondary School was not renamed after him to honour him, Oliphant laughed it off and indicated that the name “Lebohang” came from one of the parents to say “thank you” to the school.

Again laughed off, when Sedibeng Ster Sport asked him why the local government doesn’t build a stadium and name it after him like George Thabe Stadium.

South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup under his leadership as Safa President, and he was part of a delegation that went to Zurich in Switzerland when the country bid to host the 2006 World Cup. In 2010 South Africa hosted a successful World Cup and it was the first time the African continent hosted a World Cup.