Times Of Swaziland: MY 2018 WISH LIST!

MY 2018 WISH LIST!
================================================================================
BY Lwazi's Pandora's Box on 02/01/2018 08:33:00


My dearest readers ... Complications of the new revolution ... eish this
typewriter ... Compliments of the New Year!
Now that you have finished devouring a month’s groceries in a space of a week,
imbibed copious litres and litres of the waters of immortality all in the name
of celebrating the birth of Mary’s baby boy, Jesus Christ following an
immaculate conception and ushering 2018, in style, welcome back to reality. Of
all the nauseating chain messages I received on WhatsApp just before we crossed
over to the New Year, one touched the cockles of my heart. It read: “When you
look back on 2017, don’t think of it as a year of pain but a year of growth.
You made it through each day. You should be proud of yourself. You are a better
you, despite all the hardships. Take a deep breath and enter 2018 with FAITH,
HOPE and CONFIDENCE,”
That just sums it up for me and I hope it also rings a bell to our sports
administrators as the country will be in merriment with its 50/50 double
celebrations this year. With God’s grace we hope to make 2018 a year to
remember in the local sporting fraternity but for me, here is my wish list for
the New Year. National Football Association of Swaziland: As the governing body
for the most followed sport in the country and shocker winner of the
‘Association of the Year’ award 2017, the Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa-led
organisation needs to step up and take charge of the development programmes
which is their core business. Leaving everything in the hands of the Premier
League of Swaziland (PLS) is a sad dereliction of duty on their part. As a
result, age-cheating in the PLS developmental league is becoming normal and this
then affects the selection of the junior squads. Everybody who knows a thing or
two about Swazi football, is aware we sent an over-aged squad to the COSAFA
Under-20 Youth Championships – and not for the first time. What did we gain?
Nothing, Zilch, fokol, Nada, Dololo!
When will this ever end? It’s sickening really! Premier League of Swaziland
(PLS): Rated as the 14th best league in Africa, it is time for the PLS to grow
to its true potential. Great strides have been made in the outgoing year with
the first grants dished out to teams and a well run competitive league but I
just wish the PLS could get a proper television broadcast deal that would change
its face forever. All the big leagues in Africa and beyond have benefited from
TV broadcast deals and the money that comes with it. A proper TV broadcast deal
with a reputable TV station worth the tag would turn our football’s fortunes
ten-folds. Our PLS under the stewardship of street-wise businessman Victor
‘Maradona’ Gamedze deserves this! Swaziland National Sports Recreation
Council: The 2017 National Sports Awards were a good idea that was, however,
poorly executed. One can only hope the SNSRC has learnt its lesson after the
outcry on the winners of the various categories.