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One of the greatest abilities Nelson Mandela had was using sports as a tool to break down barriers and unite a divided South Africa. He as sportsman – an amateur boxer and soccer player \u2013 in his early life and saw the potential sport had to do well.<\/p>\n
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Any South African will remember that moment when captain Francois Pienaar, lifted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. We will all agree that it was not just about rugby, but Mandela consciously used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to knock down the last barriers of apartheid. Mandela then became a good luck charm to sports, often referred to as \u201cthe Madiba Magic<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mandela\u2019s sporting journey did not end in 1995, after failing to win the bidding contest for the 2006 World Cup, Mandela took it upon himself to help campaign for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. His and South Africa\u2019s perseverance paid off when South Africa was handed the biggest football event \u2013 for the first time in Africa. There was no other jovial time in South Africa like the 2010 World Cup.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the teams in the tournament<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The power which sport possesses to build up communities lives on in South Africa. The Graca Machel Trust today celebrates the Tsietso Mocha Annual Tournament (TMAT), a registered non-profit organisation based in the North West province of South Africa that is using football as a way of giving the youth an opportunity to realise their sporting potential.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The TMAT was started by a football analyst, 30-year old Tsietso Mocha, from rural Kraaipan which is 65 km from a town called Mafikeng in South Africa. When Tsietso was still in school, he played football and dreamt of one day becoming a professional soccer player. Due to lack of resources however, his dream was never fulfilled. As a soccer journalist, Tsietso gained lot of experience as he engaged in lot of tournaments.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAt the beginning of 2017, I started to have dreams about my community and football and seeing how successful other tournaments are, I also decided to take that route. I decided to take everything I have gained and give it back to the community that raised me,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He explained that many people are always looking at urban areas for soccer talent but not in the townships[1]<\/a>. \u201cIn Kraaipan, there is lot of talent but we are failing to unearth it because people are only looking at urban areas. As a football analyst of Mogale FM a radio station which broadcasts in the West of Gauteng, I realized it is my duty to give back the experience I have acquired,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A second team in the tournament<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Tsietso started the NPO alone but had a lot of support from his community who also believed in the dream of Kraaipan. TMAT had its first annual event this year during the Easter weekend. Even though there were no sponsors, the tournament was successful and fellow journalists and friends contributed with trophies and uniforms. The winning team walked away with a branded TMAT jersey and R2000. There were also atrophies for the player and goalkeeper of the tournament.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Overall, TMAT provides the players with an understanding of the importance of sports in the pursuit of a healthy and active lifestyle at a college level and beyond. It helps the players gain an appreciation of the concepts of fair play, honest competition and good sportsmanship to develop the capacity to maintain interest in a sport and to persevere in order to succeed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The winning team<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe first tournament was an open edition therefore we had a lot of players in different age groups but going forward we would like to target children under 21. We target children who are still in school and those that are out of school,\u201d Tsietso says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On future plans for TMAT, Tsietso says in five years, the TMAT tournament should cover the whole North West province and get soccer talent scouts to come and identify young people with the potential to transform South Africa\u2019s football prospects.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When asked what inspires him, Tsietso said, \u201cWhen kids have sports as a distraction, it drives them away from partaking in substance abuse. To know that I am at least contributing to that makes me hopeful. Kraaipan is an amazing area with a lot of talented kids and I believe a lot of talent can be unearthed here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What change do you want to see happening in your community? You hold the power to ensure that this transformation happens. Take a stand like Nelson Mandela and Tsietso have and get those wheels of change moving. To learn more about the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust\u2019s Children\u2019s Rights program and the work we are doing with the Mara out of school children in Tanzania, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/30127338_444265832671218_3927027466395662713_n-400x303.jpg\")
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