Life injected into sport through Friendship Games
This year will see 822 participants prove their abilities, across three regions and will have already hosted approximately 45, 000 players within the school system.
Sporting body, TONVER, is proud to host this year’s edition of the eagerly anticipated, Friendship Games. The mass school sporting event is a culmination of various games hosted by PHOESSA, TONVER and CADSSA. The three sporting giants have selected participants in the various codes of sport which include football, netball, volleyball, chess, and table tennis.
The divisions will be categorised according to age groups of 11, 13, 15 and 16-years-old, for both boys and girls. The showcase at this year’s games will be the introduction of girls’ football in the 11-year-old category.
This year will see 822 participants prove their abilities, across three regions and will have already hosted approximately 45, 000 players within the school system.
The previous TONVER games itself hosted 2, 000 players with approximately 15, 000 players participating in the preliminary games within 35 schools. PHOESSA and CADSSA have hosted tournaments of a similar magnitude making the George Ramalu Friendship Games, one of the largest held school contests.
Trustee of the George Ramalu Trust, Boston Moonsamy, said that the Friendship Games would bear close testament to the late sporting icon’s vision.
He said, “Ramalu was pivotal in the development of various codes of sport and football in particular. Initiatives of this nature form part of the greater vision of the work our company does and its commitment to sustainable development, balancing short and long-term interests on integrating economic, environmental, and social considerations that are strongly aligned with the visions of the trust.”
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Ramalu’s focus towards the latter part of his contribution to the South African Football Association (SAFA), was primarily centred around the development of youth and women’s football.
It is also part of the directive of SASCOC which is of the firm view that all development and junior sport should be conducted through school structures in conjunction with the sporting federations.
Another trustee, Trevor Moonsamy, was of the view that the introduction of girls’ 11 football in the Friendship Games, is an ideal forerunner to sustainable development in this category and will form the springboard in girls’ football for years to come.
Chairman of the trust, Jace Nair, said, “School sports development is what’s required to create the injection in our communities towards unity and togetherness. This is also in keeping with the spirit and ideology of the late George Ramalu, who always championed the cause of the disadvantaged.”
TONVER president, Guru Ramcharan, was very excited about hosting the Friendship Games this year. He paid special homage to Boston Moonsamy, Azelis SA and members of the George Ramalu Trust.
Ramcharan said, “The late icon, George Ramalu, who had served the Tongaat community for many years through his business acumen, would have been delighted that the trust was supportive of this magnanimous venture and that there is sustainability despite the more recent COVID-19 pandemic and KZN floods that had ravaged many of our communities.” The management, trustees and well-wishers, take this opportunity to wish all participants well in the friendship games taking place on August 12, this year.
