Player Profile: Matome Ishmael Madimabe – Free State Stars

Bonitas Free State Stars hosted their first ever players awards ceremony in recognition of the club’s players’ remarkable performance in the last PSL league season.

The evening saw Kennedy Mweene walk away with the Player of the Season Award and a whooping check of R100 000. The players, nominated team mate Ruben Cloete as Players Player of the Year to the sum of R40 000, while striker Sthembiso Ngcobo was awarded goal scorer of the year taking home with him R65 000.00 for the 10 goals scored in the last season.

Other winners recognised included James Matola as Consistent Player of the Season, Walter Kumalo for Good Spirit, Thamane Motaung and Tebelo Mofokeng shared the Rookie of the Season Award. Siyabonga Mduli was dubbed Most Disciplined Player of the Season.

Team General Manager, Rantsi Mokoena took the opportunity to announce the team’s new signings for the new season starting on 1 August 2009:

• Manti Moholo – University of Pretoria
• Goodman Sauhatso – University of Pretoria
• Fabio Da Silva Costa Marinho – Brazil
• Eder Richards – Brazil
• Sifiso Simon Thomo – Batau United
• Kingston Nkhatha – Carara
• Aleni Lebyane – Carara
• Nkane Zwane – Carara
• Prince Hlela – Carara

Mokoena also thanked the club’s sponsor Bonitas Medical Fund for their continued support and resources’, stating that due the sponsorship, the club was able to retain 99% of the squad putting them in a position where unlike in the previous years they had to sell players to the so - called bigger clubs. This time around they did one better by extending some contracts including those of Siyabonga Mdluli, Kennedy Mweene and Sthembiso Ncgobo, who have signed for more that two seasons.

The awards ceremony attracted the full support of the Free State government, with attendance by the Premier of the province Mr. Ace Magashule, MEC of Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr. Dan Kgothule, The Mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Mme Matokoana Mopeli and the Mayor of Dihlabeng Local Municipality, Mr. Tjhetane Mofokeng.

“The fund is most proud of the team’s performance in the last season. We have faith they will be top achievers in the new season which kick starts on 01 August, where their first match will be played in Bloemfontein, Seisa Ramabodu against Celtics. A match, I believe will set the tone for Free State Stars’ games throughout the new season.” said Peta Smuts, the General Manager of Operations at Bonitas Medical Fund.

Bonitas donates soccer kits to Newstons FC

Professional football is not strange to us, this being demonstrated by our full sponsorship of Premier Soccer League team, Free State Stars. With soccer being the biggest spectator sport, our partnership with the team is a strategic one that will help us encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle through sporting sponsorships.

In the month of April 2009, we stumbled upon the community-based soccer team, Newtons FC, based in Stellenbosch. Coached by a respected member of the local police force, Inspector Bernard Adams, the team is a small success story in itself and is set to take the local youth football community by storm.

The children in this area are brought up in environments that don’t generally promote success and growth, with gangs and violent crime being the only way most of these kids can feel they belong. Most times all they’re looking for is a home away from home and for these and values. By building them up as ethical human beings with a passion to succeed, these young boys will be helped to grow into adults who bring change to the youth in their community – and so the cycle of good is reinforced from early on.

These are the kind of boys who even go as far as cleaning the streets; painting and gardening in their free time, even on weekends, to raise funds from the local municipality. This reinforced for us the level of responsibility and respect that has been instilled in them, which we are happy to be associated with.

Through the sponsorship of these kits, we are playing a role in supporting the team’s safe haven away from home, building their feeling of belonging to a brotherhood and, most importantly of all, helping them to be seen for the upstanding young men of the Stellenbosch community they are and the potential footballs stars they could become.

It is for this reason that as Bonitas Medical Fund we took a decision to donate soccer kits to the team. More than anything our donation is aimed at helping these young kids develop a healthy lifestyle through participation in sport and supporting them in achieving their own dreams and goals.

The team’s training is not just about developing soccer skills, as the team is also taught life skills, such as respect, commitment, dedication.

Bonitas is always looking for local teams who need assistance.
As a Bonitas member should you know of an Under 18 or Under 19 team that needs kit, please send a motivation to Bonitas telling us why they deserve it!

Bonitas Marketing, PO Box 651428, Benmore, 2010.