THE TEAMS HAVE SPOKEN

My dearest readers... Barely two weeks before the Premier League of Swaziland (PLS) constituency goes to the polls, the teams have literally spoken – by nominating its Chairman, Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze unopposed.

Those who follow the politics of local football will not be surprised that the election of the chairman will not take place, as 13 teams have nominated the Mbabane Swallows boss, who will run unopposed. The nomination deadline was last Thursday. It is also no surprise that Mbabane Highlanders and 10 others abstained in the PLS nomination. It may be their constitutional right – but it’s not nice not to participate in a process that will affect your team both directly and indirectly.

Gamedze’s re-election unopposed says a lot about the man and the good work he has done for the organisation and sport as a whole. There is no doubt the organisation is in good hands.
Under his stewardship, the PLS has grown in leaps and bounds. The confidence the captains of the industry have in his leadership is there for everyone to see. Not only has he maintained the sponsors, but he has added new ones who have forked out millions of Emalangeni in sponsorship packages.

Despite a few challenges, the tournaments have gone on smoothly with deserving winners being crowned champions. The positives have far outweighed the negatives. Even that ugly scourge of violence that showed its ugly face at the stadiums, has been few and far between. 
It has just been unfortunate that the same teams - Gamedze’s Mbabane Swallows and Royal Leopard - keep on winning, but it remains up to the rest of the teams to put their houses in order and raise their games.

Gamedze is streetwise and can sell an egg to a hen or even ice to an Eskimo. He has a mind as sharp as the edges of a samurai sword. That’s why the Premier League of Swaziland (PLS), under his leadership, is at its healthiest.
Gone are the days of teams having to fork out extra money to pay off referees’ allowances and keep the office going. If anything, the PLS has, at times, given teams some grants to keep them going and have also had a loan scheme to assist them in times of financial despair.

The organisation has expanded with the introduction of a youth development wing in the Under-17 and Under-20 leagues. This is a feather in their cap. Gamedze being at the forefront of all these initiatives makes it easy to deduce why 13 teams sees it proper for him to continue his steady growth of the organisation, which he found living from hand to mouth.
As it is, to be honest, I do not see anyone who could have challenged him for the position. That person would have been a pygmy trying to fell a giant.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: