The MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mrs Happy Joyce Mashamba, said there was no better way to unite and strengthen the community than using sports.

She was addressing a multitude of elderly soccer lovers when she handed them soccer kits at Gondeni-Mabilu village, near Donald Fraser Hospital, on Saturday. Old ladies could not stop ululating and smiling as Mashamba presented them with 22 shorts, 11 pairs of socks, 22 jerseys, 30 golf shirts and 4 soccer balls.

Mashamba said it touched her department after learning that the old ladies were playing soccer without proper sports attire. She said the old women are a true example of women empowerment because they are displaying that there is no longer a sporting code for a certain gender.

She commended them for keeping themselves fit: "You are not only winding up time by playing soccer. You are keeping your bodies healthy and you must remember that a healthy body has a healthy mind. These elders in their golden years are shunning the stigma that goes with old age. Let’s do away with the idea that elders are supposed to sit at home, doing nothing until sunset. Soccer was previously for young men because it needed someone with strength and power, but we are very proud of these old ladies because they have shown everyone that nothing is impossible."

She encouraged them to keep up their active lifestyles. "By practising active lifestyles, you are a very good example to your children and grandchildren; they will simply follow in your footsteps. During this age, you must focus on positive things, rather than worry about things that you cannot change. Although these ladies are of advanced ages, what they are doing shows that they are still young in spirit. Today’s donation is just a foundation that will end with the construction of a very big house. My department wishes them more active years to come."

Ms Esther Khomunala (60) who represented the magogos during the function, said jubilantly: "We have been waiting for this day and it has finally arrived. We feel this is like a dream because we never thought there were people who were watching us out there. We love soccer wholeheartedly and that is why we kept on playing, despite the fact that we didn’t have proper clothing. The days of playing in minwenda are over and we would like to thank the MEC for her kind heart."

* One kit belongs to the Gondeni Elders Soccer team, whereas the other one will serve a pick-up team for Ward 32 of the Thulamela Municipality.