01 May 2019

Sunday football has come to be associated with binge drinking, but Kanye Masters Social Club, through the annual Masters tournament, are set to debunk the myth, as they use the beautiful game to change lives for the best.

Every year the club hosts a tournament comprising Dikakapa from Mogobane, Skom Boys from Gaborone and Great North Tigers (GNT) to showcase sublime yesteryear talent and give back to the community.

Masters president, Monkgogi Ramolefe said in an interview alongside the team’s annual soccer tournament which ended in Kanye yesterday that their vision was to use football to plough back into the community through the promotion of physical exercise, community development and mobilisation of the unemployed young people to play football for both recreation and networking purposes.

He said they adopted Kuto Primary School in Kanye in 2014 and had since assisted the school with a fax machine, computers, netball and football kits, uniform for some disadvantaged learners and free oral health screening services for pupils and teachers.

The oral health services are provided by their main sponsor, Dr Topo Kewagamang of Gaborone-based Kewagamang Dental Clinic. He further noted that the club last year sponsored a prize for one top academic achiever during the school’s prize giving ceremony.

 This time around, he said the award would be directed towards a learner who was unrivalled in sports. He said their wish was to one day turn Kuto into a school of excellence and inspire talented pupils to explore and live off their talents.

Ramolefe challenged other Sunday football teams to change mindsets and to use the game to reach out to young people in order to change their perspective on life for the best. He was worried that Sunday football was almost synonymous with alcohol. He also challenged retired football players to inspire young people to play the sport without alcohol and drugs.

He said they usually embarked on educational tours and had so far visited Kasane, Maun, Victoria Falls, Durban and were planning to visit Lesotho in July. He said the tours lent enchantment to their views on life.

He applauded the club sponsors among them, the Elders Bar, Lodubeng Park and KDC for supporting their cause.

Kuto school head, Betty Matshidiso for her part pledged to reciprocate the club’s kind gesture by improving academic performance. She said the club’s efforts created a conducive environment for teaching and learning at the school. ENDS