Honouring softball’s ‘Iron Lady’ with inaugural tourney
The silverware cabinet she left behind is still reach with medals and trophies
POLOKWANE –Â The legacy of the late softball Paledi “Iron Lady” Mothapo will be revived during the inaugural Paledi Mothapo Memorial Tournament scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday)Â at the University of Limpopo (UL) diamonds.
Mothapo died on 4 March 2007 at the age of 30. At the time, she was an employee of the Department of Sport. Her death sent shock waves across the softball fraternity as the multitudes believed it was a typical case of potential gone too soon.
An epitome of feistiness and rigorous intelligence, Mothapo was acclaimed for her breathtaking chutzpah and was an authority in the game. Even beyond her, she is still remembered as one of the few women who broke the mould in the male-dominated administration of the game back them.
A resilient player of the her generation, Mothapo swell through the ranks of students sport in 1998 representing Gauteng in the South Africa Students Sport Union (Sassu). After cementing her berth in the national student side, she also represented South African during the 1999 All Africa Games among the flagship tournament she has featured greatly in.
Mothapo cut her administrative teeth in 1999 when she was elected into the Sassu administrative office. It was in 2000 that she was elected Sassu president, a position that would later catapult her to the highest echelons of the sport.
The silverware cabinet she left behind is still reach with medals and trophies
It came as no surprise in 2004 that when the then Great North Softball Association (now LSA) wanted to break the gender barrier, Mothapo became the preferred candidate as general secretary.
It is befitting that her memorial tournament is organised by women who grew up looking up to a colleague they affectionately called “Sister P”.
When six women and eight men’s teams assemble at the campus diamonds this weekend, they will be hitting home runs in honour of a woman who was indispensible to both the defensive and offensive line-ups.
Those who will be on display in the men’s category will be the all-conquering Moletlane Texas, UL, Seshego Raiders, Mahwelereng Spikes, Red Scorpions as well as the Masters of Limpopo, Gauteng-based veterans of Flames and Best Batters.
In the battle for feminine superiority, those who will be trading bats are Mayoung, Spikes, Red Scorpions, UL, Limpopo Softball Association and the touring party of Botswana Diamonds.
The winner of this historic event will be presented with a floating trophy and gold medals while silver and bronze medals will be conferred on runners up and third placed team.
There will be individual prizes for best batter, best fielder and the best pitcher-catcher combination.
