“When are we going to play a lekker game of handball?” For the past three months, this was the enthusiastic question from children every Tuesday and Thursday during our afternoon handball lessons. Their dream of participating in a real tournament finally came true on the 14th of November, thanks to the dedication of Salome and Liv, PLAY HANDBALL volunteers with the “Piketberg Sports Development Foundation” in South Africa’s Bergrivier municipality. Together, they organised a memorable event in Salome’s host village of Goedverwacht. Here Salome and Liv share how the day unfolded.
A small community with a big passion for handball
The tournament was hosted in Goedverwacht, a picturesque missionary station nestled in the mountains of the Bergrivier Municipality. Two schools took part in the competition: Goedverwacht Primary School and Steynville Primary School from Piketberg. Due to overwhelming interest, four teams participated – two from each school – allowing around 30 children from grades 4 to 7 to showcase the skills and techniques they had diligently practiced over the months.
The matches were full of energy, teamwork, and determination. Each team celebrated at least one victory during the event, making for an exciting and balanced competition. Ultimately, it was the Piketberg team winning the final by a few goals. As coaches, we are very proud of both teams and how well they did.
A celebration of learning, joy, and community
The event also drew positive feedback from the Goedverwacht community. Julia, Salome’s host mother and a respected figure in the village, expressed her admiration: “I am very impressed with how well the children know the rules now. You can really see that they understand the game and are having so much fun. I enjoyed watching them compete!” Her words captured the spirit of the day – a celebration of learning, joy, and community.
Making it all possible
Thanks to PLAY HANDBALL ZA, we were able to provide the children with apples, water and bompies (Water Ice) as refreshments between games. We would also like to thank the “Piketberg Sports Development Foundation” for sponsoring a trophy that added a sense of achievement and excitement to the event. Lastly, we are thanking the two schools Steynville Primary School and Goedverwacht Primary School with their support of organising and realising the tournament.
Looking ahead
The excitement and success of this tournament have inspired us to plan more events in the future. With the “Piketberg Sports Development Foundation,” we aim to organise friendly matches regularly and host larger tournaments in the next school year. We hope to involve more schools and community teams, spreading the love for handball.
Until then, we are sure to hear the children’s eager question again: “When are we going to play another lekker game, coach?’’ And we can’t wait to answer!
Written by Liv and Salome
