All roads will lead to Tutume village during the festive season as multitudes of football lovers are expected to throng the annual Goledzwa Football tournament. The objective of the tournament which was established six years ago is to raise funds to empower youth in the village and finance charity projects.
The tournament will be held at Thini Primary School grounds from December 25th until January 1st. Speaking in an interview with Sunday Standard last week, Publicity Secretary of Goledzwa Football Tournament, Christopher Nyanga said the tournament is an important event as it helps bring families together during the festive season and also raise funds for charity.
Six teams from the village’s various wards will partake in the tournament; Masoka from Magapatona ward, Bashi Rollers from Thini ward, Madumilano from Madikwe ward, Happy Hearts from Thini ward, Gulana from Magapatona ward and Mangaungau from Madikwe ward.
Nyanga said apart from facilitating reunions and entertainment, Goledzwa Football Tournament remains alive to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations. He said some of the funds accrued from the tournament will be used to build a shade (leobo) for the Tutume main kgotla, as well as buying food hampers for patients at Tutume Primary Hospital to be handed over on 28th December.
“Together with the village leadership being dikgosi and councilors, the tournament Executive Committee will visit the patients at Tutume Primary Hospital where the food hampers will be handed out. The committee realizes that many of the hospitalized patients will not be able to be with their families and loved ones during the festive season,” said Nyanga.
For the second time running, a beauty contest has also been organized in Tutume on Christmas Eve.
“The first installment of the beauty contest was very successful as it attracted people from nearby villages. Never before has there been a tournament that brings people together and in large numbers like Goledzwa Football Tournament. This is a time when families re-unite with their loved ones. The most important thing is that funds raised from this initiative are used to better the lives of the needy or the underprivileged. People from Tutume and surrounding villages cannot wait to reunite with their families and together attend what has now become an annual event,” said Nyanga.
The winning team in the tournament will be awarded P12, 000 prize money while the last position will attract P6, 000. Nyanga also emphasized that the tournament is very important as it helps the youth to live healthy lives through sport by keeping them away from bad habits.
“One other important thing is that we have engaged the services of professional referees who are registered with the Botswana Football Association,” he added.
He also said that there will be a professional medical team in place to provide first aid services. The tournament is sponsored by local companies from the village; Eagles Cliff Holdings Pty Ltd, Dupa Enterprises Corporation and Central Hardware.
