07 October 2021 – FIFA World Cup and SAFA referee, Zakhele Siwela has expressed his satisfaction on the recently concluded #BetwayCares Referee’s Course conducted by Betway South Africa in partnership with the Midrand Local Football Association.
The five-day workshop was targeted at upskilling aspiring female referees as part of Betway’s nationwide rollout of community sport development, which continues to lay a solid foundation for the development of sport across South African communities.
While this was the brand’s first involvement in a referees course, the Betway’s innovative approach of empowering female referees caught the attention of Siwela, who made a stop at the Rabie Ridge Stadium where the course was held to share his experience of the game with the next generation of match officials.
Siwela, who was the only South African match official at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia heaped praise on Betway, saying that very few brands make such bold attempts of stepping into unfamiliar territory such as refereeing.
“What has happened at Rabie Ridge stadium over the last few days is truly remarkable. Very few brands make the effort of upskilling referees and what they don’t realise is that the upskilling of referees, more especially at community level will significantly improve the standard of football. Well done to the Betway team for recognising the role played by referees in the development of the beautiful game,” said an elated Siwela.
At the conclusion of yet another community sport upliftment programme, Betway SA Marketing Manager, David Rachidi said the brand was encouraged by the interest and enthusiasm showed by the referees, adding that the brand would remain committed to playing a leading role in community sport development.
“As a caring brand, we take pride in leading such initiatives that continue to aid the development of sport in our communities. For the longest of time, the area of refereeing has been left on the side lines when it comes to development and as a brand that takes pride in its holistic approach to community sport development, we want to reaffirm our commitment to paving the way for the next generation of coaches, administrators and officials,” said Rachidi.
The #BetwayCares nationwide community sport upliftment programme continues to positively impact and aid the development of sport, with Betway proudly leading from the front through similar programmes and donation of sporting equipment.