Disadvantaged schools will score big in this year’s Telkom Knockout Cup which enters its 32nd edition, following a groundbreaking partnership with the Telkom Foundation.
Each of the 16 Premier Soccer League teams competing in the Telkom Knockout will nominate a school to partner with during the campaign. The clubs that reach the final of this year’s competition will earn their chosen schools a fully-equipped computer lab to the value of R200 000.
A third school will be drawn from the remaining 14 schools and will win the same prize. The prize will include 21 laptops, an interactive whiteboard and projector, Internet and Wi-Fi connectivity for two years, and educational content and programmes, among other prizes.
“The Telkom Foundation has been providing assistance to under-privileged and rural communities for the past 15 years. We are committed to giving all pupils equal opportunities in education and we offer Telkom’s ICT expertise in order to make a visible difference in education.
“We believe the long-term prospects of our country hinges on the quality of our education system. We feel an obligation to prepare pupils to one day excel in the ICT sector of our economy,” said Sarah Mthintso, head of the Telkom Foundation.
The opening fixture will be played on 2 October, with Bloemfontein Celtic starting their defence of the trophy against the team they defeated in last year’s final, Mamelodi Sundowns.
“We are eagerly anticipating another 1 350 minutes of exciting football during this edition of the Telkom Knockout. Our shared beliefs and objectives – that of connecting football lovers from all corners of our country and getting them to converse more about football – are what has kept the partnership between the PSL and Telkom strong,” said the league’s CEO, Brand de Villiers.
