06 Aug 2024

The third edition of Jwaneng Mine General Manager Soccer Fiesta has lived to its expectation, the organising committee chairperson, Segolame Ntwayagae has said.

Held over the weekend in Jwaneng, the event brought together professional and social soccer teams to compete for the P350 000 monetary prize.

It has also created a thrilling three-day entertainment and recreation experience for Jwaneng residents and those in the peripheries. 

“There has been significant growth from last year, first being the size of the crowd that we saw during the last three days, the numbers were overwhelming. That was the initial objective to keep the people busy the entire weekend,” said Ntwaagae.

He appreciated the increasing support from sponsors, who contributed towards the growth of the tournament sponsorship by 10 per cent. 

He said the intention was to motivate teams and grow the initiative beyond Jwaneng Mine’s zone of influence. “We deliberately invited Granada Wanderers from Selebi Phikwe to compete with Galaxy ladies team and the match was captivating and tough. 

“As much as we wanted our ladies team to have some action, we also wanted to expand our partnerships beyond our zone of influence,” he said.

The local economic aspect of the event also extended beyond hospitality and street vending.

One of the notable positive impact was the engagement of Mabutsane-born commentator, Ofentse Mokgorise who was making his debut in the tournament.  To him, such an opportunity did not only motivate him to sharpen his craft, but to get exposure to a wider market.  

“I am grateful for the opportunity because I have been doing this for a long time but it was just for the local tournaments in Mabutsane.

“My biggest achievement so far was commentating for the big match between Jwaneng Galaxy and Extension Gunners on Saturday,” he said.

Raphalane court president, Duncan Marumoloa applauded all stakeholders who contributed towards the charitable event, whose main objective is to grow sports from grass roots level and grow the local economy. 

He said the overwhelming crowd that thronged the Galaxy stadium was an indication that the tournament was able to offer diverse entertainment gap for all age groups. He urged the beneficiaries to use their prize money wisely.

“As you go back to your bases, go and use those prizes wisely so that we will see their contribution to the growth of sport in our communities,” he noted. 

“We need to plan better around crowd management and also incorporate children’s activities in the future. We also need to improve on the parking space next year,” he noted.

The host, Jwaneng Galaxy FC continued to dominate the soccer fiesta winning it for the third time in a row after defeating Notwane FC, 1-0 in the final match. Ends