Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Thato Ntsoelengoe, widow of soccer great Patrick "Ace" Ntsoelengoe, is organising a tournament as part of the contribution of the family to the development of sports.

The soccer and netball tournament will be staged by the Patrick Ace Ntsoelengoe Foundation in partnership with Mogale City Municipality.

Also involved in the project are the Department of Education, Mogale City district and the South African Football Schools Association.

"We are happy to present the inaugural Ace Ntsoelengoe Schools Sports Tournament, which will be launched on April 18," said Ntsoelengoe. "In the first year, it will feature soccer and netball, but the plan is to include other sporting codes to cater for everybody from next year.

"The tournament is for the Under-13s and Under-17s for both netball and soccer this year. It will start on April 20 with the semifinals and finals on July 19.

"The semifinals and finals will also coincide with an announcement by Mogale City Municipality of their 2010 World Cup strategic plan.

"It is a Mogale City project, but we plan to extend it as a West Rand project. It will later be a provincial and ultimately a national event."

Mogale City are also partnering with the Patrick Ace Ntsoelengoe Foundation to host the Ace Ntsoelengoe Golf Day on May 9 at the Mogale City Golf Course.

"It is meant to raise funds for the foundation to carry out its work in community development," said Bongani Gaeje, the spokesman.