Map games’ popularity outgrows alex
ALEXANDRA - As the Maimane Alfred Phiri winter games to continue to amaze and confound critics, a call has been made to turn the games into a national tournament.
As the success of the Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) soccer winter tournament continues to confound critics, a call has been made to hold the Alex tournament in other provinces.
The call was sounded at the launch of the annual tournament which kicked-off on 31 May, with the start of the four junior categories of the tournament: the U13, 15, 17 and 20.
Each age category in the juniors’ tournament has 16 teams participating, making a total of 64 teams from Alexandra competing.
The seniors’ tournament also has the same number of teams, as the juniors and seniors both play in a knockout format leading up to the final. With more than 140 teams competing in the tournament, this is a huge increase from the four teams that took part at the tournament’s inception in 2001. Critics had said the tournament would not become established.
The bulk of the senior teams come from Gauteng while others come from as far afield as Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Unlike the juniors’ category which is a developmental tournament, the seniors boast prize money for the champions.
Speaking at the launch, Lawrence Venkile of sponsors Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prassa), said he would like to see the day when the tournament was played nationally
“I am of the view that the games have outgrown Alex,” he said. “For us to move them forward, we need to start looking at ways of turning them into a national tournament. I long for that day,” he said. Venkile said the junior component of the tournament could remain an Alex affair as it sought to develop youngsters from Maimane Phiri’s hometown, but the seniors’ tournament could be transformed into a national competition.
“Our role in this relationship is not just that of putting money into the kitty, but we look at ourselves as a partner of the Map games, whose vision is shared in our motto of moving people forward. Here we seek to develop youngsters and move them forward into outstanding future footballers that our nation can be proud of,” said Venkile.
The final of the juniors’ category will be held at the Three Square Sports Facility on Youth Day, 16 June.
