By Ncamisile Mtshali
A north Durban youth organisation hosted a soccer tournament at Inanda Sports Ground recently to combat crime and substance abuse among the local youth.
Senamile Mthethwa, the founder of Inanda Youth Organisation, said he started this initiative to spread the message of empowerment, hope and unity in the community.
“The aim of this initiative is to fight against crime by creating events where the youth can unite. We are also going to have different sports, such as netball and basketball, to keep the youth away from the streets and be active all the time.”
He said that the tournament is not just a competition but a comprehensive initiative that includes mentorship programmes, life skills and drug abuse-prevention teachings.
Mthethwa added that their plans for the organisations include establishing a soccer academy and expanding participation.
“Our goal is to attract local sponsorship, establish strategic partnerships with leading teams (Premier League clubs) and increase our visibility.”
One of the players, Aphiwe Sithole, attributed his ability to remain focused and avoid negative influences to this initiative.
“I play for Namibia Football Club. I have benefitted (mentorship training) a lot from this tournament. There was so much fun and unity between the teams. I would like the community to continue supporting us and to encourage others to come and join us,” he said.
One of the coaches, Mbongeni Ceza, one of the ways they help youngsters to make wise decisions is to encourage them to participate in workshops and seminars led by experienced coaches, trainers and performance analysts.
“We conduct meetings with our players before the games start. We teach them about behaviour that is expected of them (on the pitch) and in the community. We have rules that are followed when we enter the ground. We do not (condone) violence and insults. We encourage players to respect elders and children, to be a good example to the children that are still growing up.”
Sports trainer Madoda Jali said he supports the initiative because of its ideal of making change in the community.
“I supported today’s tournament because I believe it is going to bring about change in the community and the youth will stop gallivanting on the streets,” he concluded.
