THORNHILL – The seventh annual Lukhanyo Memorial Speed Awareness Campaign Soccer and Netball Tournament, held from 28 to 30 November at Thornhill Sports Field, marked another successful chapter in Madodana Kota’s mission to honour his late son, Lukhanyo Tshunungwa, while spreading crucial road safety awareness throughout the Kouga community.
As previously reported, the tournament, which began in 2018 as a way for Madodana and his wife, Zoleka, to remember their son who died in a car accident on 3 January 2016 when he was just 16 years old, has continued to expand its reach and impact.
Following the first Lukhanyo Memorial Tournament held with just eight teams in 2018, the non-profit organisation, Lukhanyo Memorial Trust, was established in 2019.
Madodana thanked all those who took the time to ensure that this year’s tournament was a great success.
“On behalf of Lukhanyo Memorial Trust, I would like to extend my sincere thank you to all the sponsors, donors and event partners who took time to ensure the event’s success. They all have good hearts.”
This year’s tournament saw significant growth across multiple sporting codes.
The netball component increased from eight teams last year to 10 teams, while soccer featured 15 local teams and one team from Nelson Mandela Bay. A surprise addition this year was rugby, with Orlando Eagles RFC facing Young Collegians RFC from Gqeberha as a curtain raiser to the soccer finals.
“We saw an increase in the number of local soccer teams taking part in the tournament and spectator numbers also increased. We also had more local people selling food at the event as they try to put bread on the table for their families,” said Madodana.
The soccer tournament concluded with Wits FC claiming victory, earning R15,000, a floating trophy, soccer kit, and 20 gold medals.
City All Stars FC finished as runners-up, receiving R7,000, soccer kit and 20 silver medals.
The weekend-long event maintained its focus on road safety education, with the timing strategically aligned with the beginning of the festive season when road accidents typically increase.
Looking ahead, Madodana expressed optimism about building stronger community relationships.
“We hope that we can build a good relationship with the community of Kouga and surrounding municipalities as an NPO to support our annual event as it will be our eighth edition in November 2026,” said Madodana.
The tournament serves multiple purposes beyond sports entertainment, providing educational impact through awareness campaigns and supporting local schools with sports equipment and back-to-school programmes funded by tournament proceeds.
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