The Alex Royal Tigers U20 squad which also won the Alex U20 League in 2016.
Alex Royal Tigers Sports Club has dumbfounded everybody by successfully defending their U13 Alex League title which they won in their maiden season in 2015.
They lived up to the prediction of their teenage coach and club owner, Thembinkosi ‘Tiger’ Matholengwe (19), who boldly predicted after winning the league barely a year after the formation of the club in 2015, that he was going to defend the title.
“Here I am, I have not only just successfully defended the U13 league championship but I have added another league title in 2016, that of the U20 division of the club.
The winning Alex Royal Tigers U13 team that successfully defended the league last year after winning it in their maiden season in 2015.
“The rest of the teams, the U15 and U17, both finished in the top three bracket, a feat not yet achieved by anyone in the history of the Alex League… and I want to put it on record again that I am going to defend these two league titles again in 2017,” said a delighted Tiger, the youngest club owner in Alexandra.
On his recipe for success, Tiger said it was about doing the basics and doing them right time and time again, and ensuring that the boys were always well motivated and physically and mentally alert at all times.
“We had adopted a motto that we were going to develop the boys in all the divisions and place them on a higher pedestal if we wanted to remain on top of the food chain.”
Tiger said the dominance of his club was beginning to be felt as most boys now wanted to play for his club. “It’s not just what we do on the field of play that is luring players to our club but it is also about our caring nature as well,” he said.
In the 2016 season, the club fully kitted out all the players and also covered the players’ school requirements such as stationery, uniforms and shoes. “We want to continue with this programme in the New Year and ensure we expand it and blaze the trail.”
In 2015, Tigers won the U13 league which included one draw and one loss while last year they defended it unbeaten with only one draw.
