stakeholders (soccer and boxing)
20 November 2007
As part of the turn-around strategy in sport the MEC for Sport, Arts and
Culture, Mr Ace Magashule, engaged in a wide consultation with sport
stakeholders in soccer and boxing fraternities.
During a meeting held on 15 November 2007 in Bloemfontein MEC Magashule,
supported by his Sport Advisory Council and the Provincial Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the South African Local Government Association, entered into a
dialogue with representatives from Bloemfontein Celtics management; Free State
Stars management. These two meetings were followed by further consultations
around soccer with representatives from the 16 Free State soccer teams in the
Vodacom league as well as the only Free State soccer team in the Mvela league,
African Warriors; South African Football Association (Safa) provincial
committee as well as representatives from the former soccer players of the Free
State.
The presentation by Harmony Sport Academy further beefed up the discussions
around how to ensure promotion of soccer in particular and sport in general in
the Free State. Subsequent to consultation with soccer stakeholders the MEC
then met with representatives from boxing to discuss issues of development and
promotion.
The following outcomes were agreed upon during these consultative
meetings:
1. The idea of a soccer development academy in the Free State is going to be
pursued by all stakeholders in the province to ensure the development of
quality players for the semi-professional and Premier Soccer League teams in
the province.
2. A twinning agreement will be entered into with one of the overseas based
clubs around the soccer development academy.
3. The need was identified for rolling out of and intensifying Celtics'
social responsibility programme to other districts in the province and creating
synergy between the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's school sport
programme and Celtics' football programmes in schools.
4. The possibility of opening multi-coded sport schools, one in each
district of the Free State, is going to be explored. The school sport will
serve as an incubator to provide a nurturing environment for sport talent in
the Free State.
5. Joint ventures between the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and
soccer teams in the Free State, such as and beyond the one during which the
Department provided busses for supporters of Celtics and Free State Stars
during the Telkom Semi-Final matches, will be intensified.
6. Access for all Free State soccer teams to the Free State Sport Science
Institute (FSSSI), owned by the department, should be intensified to ensure
maximum and well-rounded physical training support to players by professionals
at the FSSSI: Rehabilitation; testing for participation, nutrition.
7. Sport councils in the province are going to be revived to ensure proper
co-ordination of sporting activities in the municipalities.
8. All sport facilities in the province, within municipalities, as well as
school sport grounds should be accessible to all soccer teams for optimum
usage. This includes effective utilisation of Charles Mopeli stadium by Free
State Stars for their training and league games.
9. A Soccer Indaba will be held in two or three weeks time from the date of
this meeting, to address the challenges facing soccer in the province,
including the role played by Safa in the development of soccer in the Free
State.
10. The need for using ex-professional players to enhance development of
soccer in the Free State was identified. A core of coaches will be developed to
capacitate other coaches at various levels of football participation.
11. Annual grants to Mvela and Vodacom clubs will be investigated with
accounting practices attached.
12. Capacity building programme for soccer club administrators, coaches and
referees will be implemented to enhance good management and competitiveness of
clubs.
13. The important sport development role played by Harmony Sport Academy
will be rolled-out through the province. Team consisting of the Department and
Harmony was established in the meeting to work around development of a
strategic partnership document that will guide the partnership between the two
stakeholders.
14. Programme for pre-season training of Vodacom teams nearer to Harmony
Sport Academy and Griffiths sport facilities will be developed.
15. Private sponsorships and government funding will be sourced to promote
boxing in the province. Boxing facilities will be procured and the idea of a
boxing academy in the province should be explored.
16. Task team consisting of stakeholders in boxing was established to
co-ordinate boxing in the province.
"By simply working together we can achieve so much," stated MEC Magashule
after consultations with stakeholders in the soccer and boxing fraternity. "We
will reach whatever powers maybe in soccer to assist the clubs in the Free
State," concluded the MEC on soccer.
Enquiries:
Tankiso Zola
Manager: Communication and Marketing
Tel: 051 410 4735
Fax: 051 410 4786
Cell: 0829402392
E-mail: tankiso@sac.fs.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Free State Provincial
Government
20 November 2007
