Lema Sports Academy (LSA) hosted a winter camp for young soccer players at the Letsibogo Grounds in Meadowlands Zone 3, Soweto, from June 29 to July 3.

The camp allowed passionate young players to develop their skills and gain knowledge from professional coaches associated with clubs such as Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

LSA founder and chairperson Lebogang Sentsho said his passion for soccer, coupled with his experience as a former professional player, inspired him to find a way to give back to his community through the sport he knows best.

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“The camp came from seeing young boys who play soccer on the streets and gravel. The academy has been in existence since 2024, and it hopes to train young boys who are passionate about the sporting code of soccer to become professionals.

“I would like to one day see a couple of boys from Meadowlands playing for teams such as Kaizer Chiefs and other big teams,” said Sentsho.

Kaizer Chiefs Under-17 coach Tshidiso Letsholonyane said he was supporting LSA’s efforts to develop soccer players in Soweto and help them progress towards a professional level.

“We are here to support LSA and to improve the development of players in Soweto. We are trying to get players to a professional level. We do see that most lack technical basics, and that is what we will be focusing on and supporting them in that aspect first,” said Letsholonyane.

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“Such camps are essential in our communities because we do see that most children are not exposed to environments like Kaizer Chiefs and other teams. That means such teams look for elite players and they are left behind and forgotten.”

The camp focused on improving players’ technical ability, ball control, passing accuracy, fitness and teamwork.

Thato Raphela, a parent of one of the players, told Urban News that she attended the camp to support her child, who is passionate about soccer.

She said she was impressed by the initiative, as opportunities of this nature were not common in local communities.

“This initiative is a great one. I am glad that our children do not have to travel far and that they are thought of. I also picked up that this can be an escape from our boy children being part of drugs, crime and all these ills our communities are facing,” said Raphela.

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Sentsho said he hoped the academy’s next camp or initiative would receive greater support from parents and the broader community, as he viewed the programme as part of the legacy he hoped to leave behind.He said the camp was a success, with five boys selected for opportunities involving Kaizer Chiefs, Highlands Park and Florida Albion.