Softball tournament receives P50, 000 boost
Ivy Matlho | Thursday June 25, 2015 10:58
The sponsorship will escalate by ten percent annually.
Botsogo Metropolitan Health general manager Lesego Pule said that the company has been part of the softball extravaganza for the past two years.
“Botsogo has been part of the extravaganza tournament for the past two years on a lower scale. This time we have increased our involvement and it must be noted that it will be on a long term basis (three years),” he said. Pule also said that Botsogo is committed to playing a role in softball development and sports in general.
“Softball Extravaganza should be a big event. We believe we have to create an opportunity to create stars, we are committed to playing a role in softball development,” he said.
Selebi-Phikwe Softball Extravaganza coordinator, Dan Mahupela said the tournament, which was started in 2009, has shown growth.
“We continue to grow the tournament to improve softball game and players. Last year we achieved over P50, 000 in sponsorship. This year we decided to up our game and secure a sponsor that is going to be with us for three years,” he said.
Mahupela said they want to make the tournament known outside the borders.
“We have managed to make the tournament known nation wide now we want it to be known in Southern Africa,” he said. Mahupela, a general manager at BCL said he is impressed softball facilities in Selebi-Phikwe are outstanding and this year the tournament will be played on a turf. BCL mine public relations and marketing manager, James Molosankwe said sports was one key area of BCL’s social responsibility program.
“BCL has been part of softball. We are here as an interested party to revive softball and Selebi-Phikwe town. The expectation is to see the softball extravaganza growing,” he said.
Meanwhile, the prize money for the tournament has also been increased. Winners will take home P60, 000 in both the women and men’s sections with runners-up walking away with P30, 000.
The third best team pockets P25, 000 while fourth takes P20, 000 and P15,000 for the fifth placed side.
For finishing sixth, a team will get P10, 000, while position seven and eight will each receive P8, 000.
The most valuable player walks away with P1, 500 while the best fielder goes home with P1, 000.
The tournament will be played over the President’s holidays in July. Sixteen teams will compete, eight each from the men and women’s section. Four teams in each section will be from the south with a similar number from the north.
The proposed theme for this year’s tournament is
‘Softball unlocking Selebi-Phikwe’s potential.