- Ikapa Sporting juniors, unbeaten in their league, are set to compete in the Bayview U-16 Youth Cup with a new kit sponsored by BCL Medical Waste.
- The team, comprised of players from various gang-ridden communities, is coached by Gerard Thobejane, who emphasises the importance of football in keeping the boys out of crime.
- BCL representatives encouraged the boys to apply the lessons learned in sports to their lives, praising their dedication and potential.
Unbeaten in their current league, the Ikapa Sporting juniors are running out onto the Bayview U-16 Youth Cup field in a brand new kit, thanks to the sponsorship of BCL Medical Waste.
While the club is based in Westridge, the junior team is made up og players from the greater Mitchell’s Plain, Hanover Park, Khayelitsha and Samora Machel.
On Friday 14 June, ahead of the Sunday 16 June kick-off, the boys were treated to a relaxed afternoon at the company’s Blue Downs facility to celebrate the kit handover.
Gerard Thobejane, junior chairman and U-16 coach says they will do the company proud by wearing their name at the tournament.
Known as coach Jerry, he started coaching the unbeaten team in the February pre-season.
WATCH | Bayview U-16 Youth Cup | Exciting kick-off awaits for 72 teams competing for trophy
With boys primarily living in gang-ridden communities, Thobejane says keeping the boys playing helps keep them out of the grips of crime.
“I think promoting youth football at this age is very important, especially for where the boys are coming from because if you look at Innova Park and in the Eastridge area in Whistler’s playing it’s a I mean gangsterism is rife in that areas, drugs and alcohol all these fatherless homes so we’re working with that and yeah like I said it’s a challenging thing to motivate these boys but to wake up every day and to go out there and to help these boys to give them a chance to have a choice in life. I mean really I always tell the boys that they don’t need to worry where they come from as long as they know they set them goals and where they’re going so yeah these boys are good.
Importance of sport
BCL maintenance manager Henry Nell encouraged the boys to make the lessons learnt in sport part of their daily lives and not worry too much about the trophies.
“I know what sport has done for me in my life. It’s very important that what you learn in sport, you apply it in your life. There is a lot that you can get from sport and take it into your adult life. Camaraderie, hard work, diligence, perseverance. They say what you put in is what you get out,” says Nell.
Anastasia Fairbairn, executive for R.I.Pets, a division of BCL, further praised the boys for their dedication to the sport. She further shared quotes from three soccer legends, Pele Pele, Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi.
“You are not competing with anyone. You are only competing with yourself. If you’ve done a hat-trick next season, do two. Challenge yourself every single game. Give it your all. No one else is going to work harder than you, if you are trying to beat yourself,” she says.
WATCH | Selected matches of the U-16 Bayview Youth Cup here
Looking forward to the tournament this week, Thobejane says their talent speaks for itself.
“We have a nice blend of football (talent) and I am enjoying myself coaching them. I am looking forward to exposing them to other bigger challenges during the (U-16 youth cup) like playing teams in the PSL. We have an awesome group of talent, so they can really go a long way. They just need to keep focused. I am always telling them to have respect, focus and the next level will come, they can reach the next level. I really would like to see one or two of my boys, even the whole squad make it to a higher level.”
- People’s Post, Tygerburger and City Vision are proud media partners to the event. Visit our social media pages for daily updates, fixtures, images and other digital content around the competition through out the week. Also read more here.
