Fungai Nyamutukwa-Mpfeka
Sports Reporter
ORGANISERS of the Thembalethu Foundation women’s soccer tournament handed outstanding prizes to participants for the event held in December 2016.
New Orleans won the inaugural competition after beating Borrow Jets 3-2 in a penalty shootout in the final of the six-team tournament.
The other teams which took part in the competition, whose objective is to change lives and bring hope to girls through football, were Highlanders Royals, Street Set, Cowdray Park Queens and Sobukhazi.
Royals thrashed Street Set 5-0 to win the third place play-off.
For winning the tournament, New Orleans walked away with a trophy and a brand new kit, while Borrow Jets got a kit.
Third-place winners Highlanders Royals and Street Set won kits, but only received tops on the day of the tournament.
Bosso’s ladies side and Street Set received their shorts for the kits as well as participation medals alongside Cowdray Park Queens and Sobukhazi on Monday evening.
“All the prizes were sourced from England and part of the consignment was held in South Africa when we held the tournament in December. However, we’re happy to have finally cleared our outstanding obligations to participants,” said tournament director Fungai Nyamutukwa-Mpfeka.
Thembalethu Foundation also promised to make this year’s edition bigger and better following a successful inaugural competition.
“We’re grateful to the support given to us by the Southern Region Soccer League’s management, the clubs, strategic partners and the media. Our hope is to make this year’s competition even bigger and better. Plans are underway to have two tournaments for the girls held in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces. The guys in the UK are busy sourcing prizes,” said Nyamutukwa-Mpfeka.
At the December tournament, Thembalethu Foundation’s strategic partners included Nokel Security, Swivel Metal Engineering, Elicon Construction and Baker’s Inn, who provided refreshments and lunch for participating teams.
Comedian Oliver Keith and friends also donated sanitary pads to the girls that took part in the tournament.
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