Herbalife Ltd. has teamed up with the United States Adult Soccer Association the Massachusetts Adult State Soccer Association (MASS), the Veterans Cup committee (http://www.veteranscup.us) and the Lexpressas women's soccer team to help the Vakhegula-Vakhegula soccer team come to America to compete in the annual Veteran's Cup tournament this week. Known as the 'Soccer Grannies,' the women from Limpopo, South Africa are ages 49 to 84. Vakhegula-Vakhegula means 'Grannies' in the local Xitsonga dialect. Twice a week they swap domestic chores for football, donning soccer boots instead of their usual rubber sandals to play in local matches. Seven other teams have been set up in Limpopo, also holding regular training sessions. The league called the Top Eight provides a venue for the Grannies to compete twice a year.
The team was founded by Beka Ntsanwisi, who is known as "Mother Theresa of Limpopo." She is the recipient of many awards from 2002 through 2008 for outstanding contribution in the fields of health, education and youth development in the rural villages of Limpopo.
To help the Vakhegula-Vakhegula team, the USASA, the Massachusetts Soccer Association and the Veterans Cup committee have provided Veterans Cup registration fees and tournament participant insurance fees. The Lexpressas, a Boston-area women's soccer team, are taking responsibility for housing, meals, some activities preceding or following the tournament; and transportation of the team to and from Boston to Lancaster. South Africa Partners assisted with fundraising support and is continuing to collect tax-deductible donations for the Grannies. To donate please specify "Grannies Football Fund" in the gift information field at: http://www.sapartners.org/
Herbalife joined in to help after a Los Angeles Times article brought the team to the company's attention. "Herbalife is the official nutrition sponsor of 12 professional soccer teams around the world including FCBarcelona and the LA Galaxy, as well as the AYSO here in the U.S.," said Herbalife Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson. "We were inspired by these women who have overcome significant obstacles to play soccer. Yesterday we were cheering on Spain with seven FC Barcelona players in the World Cup -- this week we're cheering on the Grannies." The company provided funding for round-trip travel expenses, sponsorship support, and like the LA Galaxy, the Vakhegula Vakhegula will be wearing Herbalife on the front of their jerseys.
The Veterans Cup tournament was established in 1998 by the United States Adult Soccer Association. Men's and women's teams compete in divisions ranging from 30 to over 65 years of age. This six-day event will be held July 13-18, 2010 in Lancaster, MA and hosted by the Massachusetts Adult State Soccer Association, which anticipates 100 adult soccer teams, comprising approximately 3,200 players, family members, and supporters: http://www.veteranscup.us.
The tournament will be held at Citizens Bank Fields at Progin Park in Lancaster. It is a 250-acre state-of-the-art facility approximately 40 minutes west of Boston and features sixteen FIFA-regulation soccer fields. Attendance at the games is free. Limited parking is available; carpooling is strongly recommended.
