WELL done, veteran journalist Len Kalane, for pointing out the wrong spelling and pronunciation of the word "diksi", which has for a long time been township slang for soccer.

In his column in Sowetan onDecember 11 public editor Thabo Leshilo brought up the issue over the argument on whether it is "diksi" or "diski".

For many decades - certainly since the 1940s and probably earlier - soccer has been known as diksi in Soweto, Sophiatown, Western Township, Fietas (Vrededorp), Alexandra, George Goch and in other townships from Randfontein to Springs, in Pretoria at Lady Selborne and Atteridgeville and in the Vaal.

Diksi was the sport people went to watch at venues such as Wemmer, Bantu Sports Ground, Western Oval, Moroka-Jabavu Stadium, Alexandra Stadium, George Goch Stadium and others.

Then came the start of black professional football, spearheaded by the South African Soccer League, with fans flocking to watch exciting diksi at the Indian Sports Ground (Joburg), Curries Fountain and Somtseu (Durban) and in Cape Town.

Now some people are trying to pervert a small part of black sporting history by telling us that diksi, our long-standing township name for soccer, is diski.

Leshilo quotes three editors who insist that the word has always been diski. These men are very wrong. Diski came into use only a few years ago and has been bolstered by SuperSport in its TV and street promotions.

Wouldn't it be nice to canvass the views of some soccer administrators who were kasie laaities and hear what they have to say?

I'm thinking about people such as Leepile Taunyane, Kaizer Motaung and others.

Diago Segola, Diepkloof