Soccer league starts a shoe collection drive
The Youth Premier League (YPL) in Giyani is urging businesses and members of the community to become part of their ongoing shoe drive.
The initiative aims to donate soccer boots and running shoes to young athletes in the surrounding villages, including Tzaneen.
People can donate used soccer boots in good condition or new boots from size 5-12 (adult sizes).
One of the founders of the league, Tsholofelo Bulala, told the Herald that the idea to start the shoe drive, came after the league came at a halt due to the Covid-19 regulations.
“We decided to address some of the disheartening circumstances that children in the league are facing, which is a lack of appropriate footwear.
“We have approximately 50 children who are without soccer boots and trainers.
“As a league, we want to contribute meaningfully by assisting in acquiring boots for them to enjoy their football without risk of injury.
“Every child has a right to play and be healthy.
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These are some of the initiatives we have set forth to not only encourage children to participate in sports but to help the disadvantaged in our league and beyond,” she explained.
The YPL was founded by Bulala and her friend, Matimba Josephs, who owns an academy called Power United Sports, based in Giyani Section A.
Currently six teams has joined the league, consisting of U/13, U/15 and U/17.
Bulala (25), from Nkowankowa ,has always been passionate about sports and says that as a woman she wouldn’t want to be categorised by her gender, but for the work that she is capable of doing.
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At the age seven she started playing netball and at 12 she was selected for the Limpopo provincial team.
She was also selected as part of the U/18 South African schools’ netball squad.
In 2015 she joined Tuks Netball where she was part of the high performance training group.
She went on to play for the Gauteng U/19 and the Gauteng U/21 squads.
“My love for football has always been there, but I got the opportunity to live out my interest in soccer when I established the Tzaneen Youth Development Games (NPO),” she added.
Some of her achievements in soccer include being part of the Tuks Football Internal League for three years and chairperson of the Mamelodi Sundowns’ Tuks branch.
To donate and for more information contact Tsholofelo Bulala on 060 908 7059.
