25 Jun 2014

Nonofho Molefhi, Selebi Phikwe East MP, has handed over 350 balls donated by World Group of Companies to 18 primary schools in Selebi Phikwe.

The balls from the donors were handed over to the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture which subsequently handed them over to MP Molefhi to distribute to the schools.

When handing over the balls to the schools’ representatives, Molefhi commended the donors for the good gesture. He urged other organisations to emulate the World Group of Companies.

He said Batswana in general and other organisations should also consider adopting schools. He stated that the balls for various ball sporting codes would have a positive impact on the development of the ball sports at grass root level.

“Through these donations, ball sport talent at primary school level will be unearthed, nurtured and developed so that these children become future stars of this country,” he said.

Molefhi, also Minister of Transport and Communications, said sport instilled a sense of discipline and respect among children. He also said through sport, children were taught to be responsible, to be team players and to pay attention when instructions were given.

Further, he noted that sport was, besides keeping children healthy, a unifier. “Sport also helps children to focus on goals, targets or objective set,” he said.

Minister Molefhi also indicated that teachers played a pivotal role in the socialisation process of children through sport and academics. He commended teachers for the role they had been playing in helping to bringing up children and nurturing their talent in sport.

Thanking the donors, Isabel Ndebele from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture said sport played a significant role in children lives and had many benefits.

She said sport helped improve social interaction and interpersonal skills among children, built their character and curbed delinquent behaviour.

“Children also participate in sport for keeping a healthy and good mindset…We acknowledge, WGC for donating the balls as the good gesture will help identify talent at a very young stage,” she said.

Selebi Phikwe mayor, Tebogo Matlhogonolo also thanked the World Group of Companies for donating sport balls to schools in the mining town.

He said the gesture demonstrated showed the company cared about the welfare of children. The headmaster of Boitumelo Primary School, Monica Rampoka, said the donation would help in developing various ball sport talent at her school and other primary schools.

In an interview after the handover event, Mohammad Nasir Hussain from Builders World which is a subsidiary of the World Group of Companies said 480 balls were donated to 18 primary schools in Selebi Phikwe.

He said currently they were in the process of donating balls to villages around Selebi Phikwe which included Mmadinare, Robelela, Tobane, Damochujenaa and Sefhohe. He explained theWGP donated more than 20 000 balls to be distributed among primary schools in the whole country. ENDS