Businesses trading in the Tembani Centre showed that investing in sports can play a positive role in combating crime and other social ills when they collectively bought training equipment for Mandalay United FC.
Community Secure Solutions (CSS) head Lholi Michael was approached by the club’s leadership who detailed their plight and needs.
“CSS provides a guarding service for the community and businesses in Tembani Centre and I was able to convince owners to help this team since it is the oldest in the area,” said Mr Micheal.
He said each business donated in cash or kind towards the club which enabled them to buy medical kits, and miniature goalkeeper posts made by a local welder.
“We are delighted when business responds to calls like these because they understand that a child in sport is one out of trouble and courts,” said Mr Michael.
The club has a rich history, having been formed at the dawn of democracy in 1994, after which it merged with Dynamos from Tembokwezi in 2004 and became a formidable force in the Rocklands LFA where they won a double that year. Their glory years continued into 2005 where they finished second in the league while winning League Cup.
In the 2006/7 season they registered with the new Mandalay LFA where their winning ways continued and they were crowned double champs in 2014.
Club chairman, Thobile Ntaba said the team has since fallen on hard times but he believes the recent injection of equipment will help lift them out of the doldrums.
He thanked the donors for the equipment and urged parents to play a supportive role in their children’s sporting lives.
“We encourage our players to focus on balancing education and sport and our goal in the near future is to produce academics and sports professionals,” said Sibulele Mnqeta who coaches the team.