One of the founding members of Safa Mahomed Sibda, an Alphen Park resident, recently released his book, A glimpse into the past, triumph over Adversity.
He shared his story with Benoni.
“I wrote this book because of my deep interest and affection for sports across the athletic spectrum,” he said.
Having spent his youth and the greater part of his adult life under the yoke of apartheid, he quickly came to realise that not much of non-racial sport history was brought forward.
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“I then got the urge to at least compile a dossier of events that impeded nonracial sporting activities,” he explained.
“In my 55 years of sports administration, I had contributed as an activist from whatever platform that was available to fight institutionalised racism, which was multi-faceted, strategically planned and needed to be dismantled, as well as to eradicate every vestige of racism in all spheres of life.”
His book was officially launched in November 2019 and has already sold 600 copies.
“I was involved in soccer and cricket from club, district, provincial and national levels,” he said.
“I was indeed very fortunate to have inside knowledge and it therefore became easier for me to narrate activities at all levels.”
Sibda could not pinpoint his favourite chapter but felt what was worth the mention was his district association, the Eastern Transvaal Football Association.
“This is where my initial career in sports began,” he said.
“I sufficiently covered the history to highlight our beginnings and the support I enjoyed over my 55 years with the association.”
His book is a soccer publication consisting of 630 pages and eight chapters, an encyclopaedia of information that encapsulates the heroism and herculean efforts of officials and the massive support of the oppressed people and players who defied racism and segregation in sports.
“The history of non-racial soccer and sports in general was not documented and the present generation have little or no knowledge of the past,” he said.
“I decided the world needed to know of the epic struggle against the apartheid regime, which sought to stifle non-racial sports.”
The book takes the reader through a meandering journey into the inner sanctums of power in Fifa and South Africa.
“It is a fascinating chronicle any reader who picks it up will get a picture of what segregated sports was like,” he concluded.
The City Times was grateful to accept a copy of the book commissioned by the Eastern Transvaal Football Association and narratives by Mahomed Sibda.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this book, contact Sibda on 082 750 9090.
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