Cellphone giant MTN has invested over R1 million to help revamp the training facilities of a local football club, Black Leopards FC.

The official handover of the revamped training facility by the Makhado municipality and MTN to Black Leopards took place last Thursday at Eltivillas in Louis Trichardt. In 2007, the Makhado municipality made the grounds avail-able to black Leopards FC to use for training purposes.

The venue in Eltivillas, however, required a major revamp in order to provide the team with the quality of facilities which many other football teams in South Africa are accustomed to. In 2008, team sponsor MTN came on board to manage a project that saw the former grounds undergo a major make-over.

The senior manager of MTN, Mr Anthony Gastang, says MTN believes that investing in community development is a critical component of its business success. “This revamp is our way of showing that our partnership with Black Leopards is not only about sport, but also about contributing to the wellbeing of their community at large,” he said. Gastang added that MTN also upgraded the old ablution block.

The chairman of Black Leopards FC, Mr David Thidiela, said that it had always been their dream to have proper training facilities. “A place where the players are proud to pitch up for work every day and feel proud to be part of the team,” he said.

“We are extremely pleased to have partnered with the Makhado Municipality in giving Black Leopards the dream facilities they have required for so long. We believe that these world-class facilities will go a long way in assisting the team with their match preparations and will assist and motivate the team to return to the PSL,’ he said.

MTN shares the vision of Black Leopards that the field should be utilized by the local community and surrounding schools of Louis Trichardt for the development of the people in Limpopo. “The handover reaffirms our continued support for the development of football in previously disadvantaged communities,” Gastang concluded.

Mr Thidiela mentioned that Black Leopards will also be able to host coaching and development clinics for the community that supports the team every week.