To revitalise sport in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, MTN, which is one of the sponsors of the Springbok national rugby team, donated sports kits to Melton Mbekela Senior Secondary School and Chief NZ Mtirara Senior Secondary School in Qunu, Mthatha.
The kits donated by the sponsor included soccer, netball, and rugby kits.
According to MTN Eastern Cape general manager, Maria Soares van Niekerk, the programme was aimed at giving back to the community.
Van Niekerk said the programme was aimed at boosting the confidence of the players who had been playing without sports kit.
“This is an ongoing programme. In other schools we give tablets, as we support education,” said Niekerk.
“Sport teaches discipline and helps to develop leadership skills.”
As MTN is one of the Springboks’ sponsors, during the sports kit handover, one of the Springbok players, Siyabonga ‘Scarra’ Ntubeni, who also plays for the Stormers as hooker, was part of the programme.
Ntubeni urged young people to work harder even if they were not making it in sport, as sport could help them get bursaries or assist them to stay away from alcohol.
Ntubeni mentioned that sport needed passion and love and if they did not have these two things they could end up giving up on their dream.
Meanwhile, Qunu community leader, Chief Bhovulengwe Mtirara, requested more private companies to invest in sport in rural areas.
“We are situated next to the N6 and between Qunu and VG and we are facing challenges with drugs,” said Mtirara.
“We call on the government to assist us to fight drugs in schools because the learners drop out of school because of drugs.”
