By Tshepo Molwane
31 March 2008
Moshupa MP Maitlhoko Mooka has revealed plans to build a stadium in the village to improve soccer standards. "I have pledged to contribute P6,000 towards the project.
The good thing is that we also have support from the chief," he said at the annual Easter Under-17 tournament in Moshupa. It is said that councillor Isaac Matale has pledged P10,000 for the stadium.
The MP lamented that the proliferation of football clubs is hurting soccer in the village. He said that the village has many clubs and this might be reason for the poor soccer standards.
"For a village like Moshupa, we should not be having 10 clubs. We need to limit the number and maybe form one strong club, which can go and represent us in the Premier League," he said.
He urged soccer clubs in his constituency to take youth development seriously as this will benefit them in future. The MP said little has been done to produce stars, which can represent the village in the Premier League and the national teams.
Meanwhile in the annual Moshupa Easter Under-17 tournament, Moshupa United were crowned champions after beating Piano Masters. The other teams which took part were Polokwe Junior Chiefs and Moshupa Real Birds. Mooka said he sponsored the event after realising that local clubs were doing little to develop youngsters.
"The main idea was to keep the youngsters off the streets and play football. By doing that, this would help our clubs to have enough depth in future when other players retire or they are crippled by injuries," said the legislator.
He encouraged Moshupa clubs to take the tournament seriously and send more representatives in next year's event.
The organiser of the Easter tournament, William Maboane shared the same sentiments and emphasised the need by Moshupa clubs to take youth development seriously. He said that though the other clubs did not send representatives, he was impressed by the turn-out. He praised Mooka and Kgosi Kgabosetso Mosielele for their support, saying this will encourage other villagers to start taking football seriously. "In the upcoming tournaments, we need to advertise well in advance and attract more people to the grounds. This will help us because the money we will make from the gate-takings, will go towards the stadium project," he said. Maboane asserted that when the stadium is completed, all clubs in the village will benefit.
He believes that the only Moshupa side in the First Division, Kgabosetso Southern Callies has potential to succeed if given the necessary support.
"The problem is that Moshupa residents do not realise that having so many clubs is killing us," he told Monitor Sport.
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