Johannesburg - The Lucky Lekgwathi Foundation in partnership with Grootman will host their annual Lucky Lekgwathi Under-17 tournament this weekend as the former Orlando Pirates captain continues his advocacy for community upliftment.
The cohesion between sport and social development has taken great strides in the last few years in the country. Lekgwathi himself, a role model and idol to many, has not let his guard down after retirement as the 45-year-old continues his contribution to society.
“I haven’t lived in Southdale for a very long time but that doesn’t influence my enthusiasm for gifting the community with opportunities and knowledge. Footballers need to give back to the community the best way they know how and that’s through football,” he said.
The ex-Bucanneers defender also revealed the importance of hosting youth tournaments as opposed to the familiar open division tournaments.
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“The open division tournaments are mostly based around the entertainment and financial factors of the game, whereas with our tournament we want to offer kids a pathway to academies and better structures for their football development.”
“I speak to the likes of Augusto Palacios, people who have been in this space for a very long time, on a regular basis and their emphasis on capitalising on the growth of these youngsters at the right age remains of utmost importance.”
Similar initiatives have been strained and left in disarray by the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the growth of this tournament, which began in 2017, hasn’t been spared.
The disappointment on the faces of the younger generation certainly left Lekgwathi with a heavy-heart as he plots a way to engage the youth and community, with the relevant Covid-19 protocols in place to supplement the day’s proceedings.
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“We encourage supporters and parents at the tournament to observe the right Covid-19 protocols. It is very difficult sometimes because we have ex-players there as well and people want to take pictures, but we try to control it as much as we can.
“I added the marathon to the proceedings because I’m an advocate for fitness. The Covid-19 pandemic is very rife and if there’s an opportunity to get fit and put yourself in a position of better help then I will gladly encourage parents as well to take part on the day.”
Details :
Date : Saturday and Sunday