Izinga Ridge residents get a kick out of football
The Izinga Soccer Club, who plays socially, has seen their membership grow to more than 50 members in a short space of time and has motivated people from all ages to join.
BROUGHT together by a love of football, members of the Izinga Soccer Club celebrated their one-year anniversary last week with an awards evening.
The team, who plays socially, has seen their membership grow to more than 50 members in a short space of time and has motivated people from all ages to join.
Nishan Jagathpal, who was one of the award winners on the evening for best striker, said their weekly games in the nets have seen strong bonds being formed.
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“We would not have known each other if it wasn’t for football. I mean we all live in the Izinga Ridge area, but our love for football has brought us closer together. When we started, our numbers weren’t that high, but as time has gone on, we’ve grown to such an extent that we now have to divide everyone into teams of five to give everyone a chance to play and enjoy,” he said.
For goalkeeper Adeesh Bharath, the camaraderie is something that keeps bringing him back every week.
“There is good banter, and the team spirit just lifts you on the field. It might be a small piece of turf we play on, but we give it our all without playing too hard. I think that is another aspect that drew me to the club – being able to play socially,” he said.
Frank Fang, who was named the club’s best defender, said he also enjoys playing with the team.
“I also enjoy the fitness aspect of it, and because the ball hardly ever goes out of play, we are able to get a good workout. It was great being part of the awards evening as it shows how far we’ve come. I hope that the club will grow from strength to strength in years to come,” Fang said.
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Prajeev Harrilall, Izinga Soccer Club coordinator, said the vision of the club was to bring the community together with the use of sport, and in particular, football.
“This club has brought strangers together to create friendships that will now last a lifetime. We can be proud of this positive energy which has motivated people from ages 20 to 70 to become healthier and live a better life. Our weekly games are driven by passion and commitment which are the pillars of the club, and the games have also allowed their club to grow to more than 50 members over the last year,” he said.
