From the galloping of horses to the razzle-dazzle of rugby and cricket, the Moko Sports Complex in Ezihlahleli outside Qonce is expected to be a hive of sports activities from Friday through to Monday.
The Moko Sports Foundation’s fourth Annual Easter Tournament and the 12th edition of the Ray Mali T20 promise to deliver plenty of exciting action.
The four-day action will begin with horse racing on Friday, consisting of Grade 3 horses (1,200m), Umkhwelo (5km), Tall Horses (1,000m,1,200m and 1,400m) and Short Horses (800m, 1,000m and 1,200m).
The winner of the Tall Horses final is expected to bag R15,000, the Grade 3 and Umkhwelo champions R10,000, and Short Horses winner R7,000.
Rugby will be next up, and according to Eastern Cape philanthropist Siyabulela Moko, who established the Moko Sports Foundation, there will be two streams.
Stream A will consist of 24 teams, while Stream B will consist of 16 teams.
Moko said there had been amendments to the rules for Stream B to initially be limited to players aged 25 and under and exclusively for Sunday league Border Region teams.
But the provision would now allow for a maximum of six players over the age of 25 to be on the field at any given time during the Stream B games.
“This decision was made in response to concerns regarding the competitiveness and fairness of the stream, with a focus on creating a balanced environment for player development,” Moko said.
“We believe this adjustment will enhance the tournament experience while still maintaining our commitment to nurturing young talent and promoting the growth of the sport.”
The Stream A winners will take home R50,000 and Stream B’s best side will receive R20,000.
In 2024, Eastern Jumpers Rugby Club lived up to their name by winning the third edition of the tournament.
The men from Mantlaneni collected the R50,000 grand prize after four days of intense competition featuring 32 teams from the Eastern and Western Cape.
They will be hoping that by Monday afternoon, they will have repeated their heroics of 12 months ago.
On Sunday, a new champion will be crowned in the Ray Mali T20 12th edition final between Tyatyora Hardcatch and Lamyeni Hard Catch from 10am.
In 2024, Perksdale Cricket Club’s players lived up to their motto “Roses Shall Spring” when they blossomed in one of the biggest rural cricket tournaments in the Border region.
Wearing the underdog tag on home soil at the Moko Sports Complex in Ezihlahleni, a young Perksdale outfit pulled off arguably their biggest performance of the year in beating favourites Sheshegu Brothers by four wickets in the final of the 11th edition of the tournament.
But they did not make the cut from the group stages and the eliminator stages in 2025.
The former chair of Border Cricket, Cricket SA and the International Cricket Council, Ray Mali, said he expected fireworks in the final.
There will also be a fun walk on Monday to round off all the activities.
Daily Dispatch
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