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Golf day set to aid in purchasing balls

UNITED: Former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe with Ekurhuleni executive mayor Duma Nkosi. 26.09/07. © Sowetan.
UNITED: Former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe with Ekurhuleni executive mayor Duma Nkosi. 26.09/07. © Sowetan.

All reports by Ramatsiyi Moholoa

All reports by Ramatsiyi Moholoa

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality are using their golf day tournament to raise funds for soccer development as a legacy project for the 2010 World Cup.

Duma Nkosi, the municipality's executive mayor, said companies taking part in the golf day are encouraged by make a financial contribution.

Nkosi said the municipality will use the money raised during the tournament to buy balls that are distributed to various areas in the area.

The Ekurhuleni Mayoral Soccer Ball Challenge, which is an initiative of Nkosi and backed by various big companies, started three years ago.

"We are having a golf day which takes place yearly in May. We have linked it up with a legacy project for the 2010 World Cup," said Nkosi.

"Companies that are invited to take part in the golf day help us to buy soccer balls. We distribute those balls to clubs and soccer bodies.

"We use the project to encourage the youth to take part in recreational activities with the emphasis in this case on soccer. We have also partnered with the Department of Correctional Services because there are youth who are languishing in jails.

"The aim is to encourage the youth in prison to play soccer," explained Nkosi, adding that 5 000 soccer balls were distributed last year.

This year's function took place at Mehlareng Stadium on Friday where a total of 6 400 soccer balls were distributed.

There was also a soccer game where soccer legends, radio deejays and other businesspeople from Ekurhuleni were in action.

Lucas Radebe, former Bafana Bafana captain, was also there where he once more made it clear that South Africa was ready to host the 2010 World Cup.

Nkosi said they wanted to increase the number of soccer balls yearly, adding that the support of more companies was needed.

"When I was growing up, we used to play soccer during school holidays. The matches kept us going that we did not even feel any holiday because we were always playing."

Nkosi was quick to point out that soccer balls were also distributed in traditionally white schools where rugby and cricket were still popular.

"Bafana Bafana, Banyana Banyana and other national teams may get more demographic if we also reach out to white schools."

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