Young footballers out to shine in VP event this weekend

AN exciting tournament lies ahead for young soccer players when the Victoria Park Powerade Soccer Challenge is played in Port Elizabeth this weekend.

The 12th edition of the tournament promises to be a great spectacle, with teams from Bloemfontein and East London joining their Bay counterparts in the event.

It will take place from Friday to Sunday at VP’s Dave Weinronk sports complex.

SA Football Association Nelson Mandela Bay president Monde Mhletywa believes that school sports, and soccer in particular, play a major role in the sustainability of a healthy community.

“This is a platform for many of these boys and girls as it is here where they are scouted and selected to join clubs outside the school,” he said.

VP sports coordinator Thobela Thoba, said it was amazing how the tournament had grown over the past 12 years, with some of the teams from the first event still involved today.

The tournament will host a total of 34 teams – 16 U19 boys’ sides, 10 in the U16 boys’ section, and eight U19 girls’ teams.

A host of new changes will be implemented this year, including teams playing until the last day, irrespective of their positions on the log. The organisers are also insisting on punctuality for the start of the matches to ensure the smooth running of the tournament.

“If a match starts at 8am and you [teams] arrive even five minutes late, the match will not be rescheduled,” Thoba said.

“The number of minutes after the late arrival will simply be deducted from the game time.”

Last year’s winners were Vu- lumzi High (U19 boys), VP (U16 boys) and Bethelsdorp (U19 girls).

Chippa United chief operations officer Lukhanyo Mzinzi said he had heard a lot about the exciting tournament.

“We [Chippa] are not originally from Port Elizabeth, but we have been informed of the importance of this tournament to many of the schools that will be participating,” Mzinzi said.