The city of Johannesburg plans to launch the Soweto Ludo League following the recent successful hosting of a Ludo tournament at East Bank Hall in Alexandra.

The success of Ludo tournaments is due to the participation and support of young people.

“Our aim is to develop the sport of Ludo and with the event, we hope to attract not only a large number of participants, but also sponsors and investors,” said Nthabiseng Ramolahloane, responsible for sports and recreation of the city of Johannesburg in the D.

This year’s winner, Victor Hlulane Mokoena from Soweto, nicknamed the “Smiling Assassin”, has trained a lot for the tournament. He expressed his joy to come out on top and come away with the coveted title.

“We now plan to keep the players busy every week as we will be launching the Soweto Ludo League. We saw during the recent tournament that people came to want to join the sport. Therefore, we expect success for the league in the future, ”said Ramolahloane.

She also said that the City wants to develop this sport in other regions such as Orange Farm (Region D), Diepsloot and Rabie Ridge (Region A), so that next time the City can host a huge tournament between the different regions. .

Ludo is played in schools, correctional facilities and on street corners in most townships in Gauteng. Since its creation, sport has become a tool for change, social and active life in most communities because it is an inclusive sport with no age limit. The Ludo tournament started in 2016 as a challenge for the people of Alexandra and Soweto to compete against each other on the Ludo plateau. About 190 participants took to the stage this year to compete for the championship title. The theme of this year’s tournament was precisely the “Battle of the Kasis” because it allowed two of the largest cantons of Gauteng to compete.

Ludo South Africa has grown considerably as a governing body created in September 2009 in Alexandra. This Ludo tournament in Soweto began in Dobsonville when they challenged the people of Alexandra to compete against each other on the set. It has since expanded to Soweto with more areas like Phiri, Molapo, Dobsonville, and Klipspruit.

Ramolahloane said that instead of a one-time event that erupts every five years depending on funding, the city would like to turn the sport into an annual Ludo league between all of Johannesburg’s regions and hopefully the entire province. of Gauteng.

Mandla Mdlalose, Deputy Director of Sports and Recreation for the City of Johannesburg, expressed pride in how the city’s facilities are used to promote active living and social cohesion among different communities.

“Not only do we see our different communities coming together to create an active lifestyle for people of all ages, but we can also see them coming together in friendly competition. “

23/09/2021