Linkoe women’s football club were crowned the champions of the Butha-Buthe Winter Challenge hosted by Hololo Development Foundation in Khukhune, Butha-Buthe last weekend. The tournament attracted eight women’s teams who were competing for a winner’s jackpot of M4 000. The foundation poured M10 000 into the tournament, a figure it says will increase next year.
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As it did last year, The Hololo Development Foundation also hosted a men’s competition on Tuesday, but last weekend’s action was the first time they have hosted the women’s festival.
The foundation vowed they would continue with the women’s event for years to come.
Rainbow Ladies finished as runners up and walked away with M3 000 and silver medals while BB Super Action Ladies were third and had to settle for M2 000 and bronze medals. Fourth-placed Pataka Ladies received M1 000.
Speaking at the festival, the foundation’s president and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Lejone Mpotjoane, said the sponsorship amount for the Butha-Buthe Winter Challenge would be doubled next year.
He said he was impressed by the performance of the teams and he wants every girl in Hololo to be motivated to get into sports.
“This M10 000 is very small so I’m glad to announce that next year, there will be an increase of M10 000 which means the teams will share M20 000 for their good efforts,” Mpotjane said.
“This year, teams that received jerseys (kit) are the teams that qualified for semi-finals so next year, every team that will qualify for quarterfinals will get a jersey. Next year we expect to see high competition,” he added.
Speaking to thepost after the tournament, Linkoe head coach Kosie Libeo said they went into the competition knowing they were favourites.
He said they played against Rainbow Ladies before in a different final and had beaten them 3-0. However, he admitted Rainbow Ladies got the better of his side during the regular season so Linkoe had to plan carefully on how they were going to approach the game.
“We expected a challenge but we needed to be composed and come with a different mentality, so we told ourselves that we are going to defeat this team,” Libeo said.
Hololo Development Foundation ambassador, Majoro Khale, said women start later in sport and, as a result, are unable to give their best years to the game because of societal norms.
Khale said in order for a person to excel in sports, they have to start early and be groomed from a developmental stage.
‘Mapaseka Khomoealeburu and Mahlapane Maliehe both from Pataka Ladies were recognised as the tournament’s best young players and each was given a trophy.
Retšepile Moloi from Linkoe was awarded the Player of the Tournament and received a trophy.
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