Players and officials of the struggling Madombidzha Arsenal, who participate in the MMK Administrators League, could not believe their eyes when Nthabi Tavern presented them with 15 pairs of soccer boots during a ceremony at Madombidzha last Sunday.
The official handover took place at the local sports grounds and was attended by many members of the community. Arsenal produced the former Orlando Pirates striker, Phumudzo Manenzhe. He is currently an SABC 1 sports analyst.
The youths had been playing soccer in old soccer boots for a very long time. The manager of Nthambi Tavern, Mr Sondaha Makhado, said that he had recently received a request from the club management for assistance and "we felt compelled to help." He said he was very passionate about sport and would continue assisting the team where possible. He added that the donation was also a way of motivating the team to continue participating in the league.
Representing the team, Mr Mashudu Sinthumule said they were very motivated by the new soccer equipment. "We are playing well in the league matches, but we lack even some of the basic equipment, such as soccer boots and other necessities, for the players. We are very happy to have received this morale-boosting gesture," he said.