BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE– Government, through the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, has disbursed E1.18 million to all 59 Tinkhundla Centres in Eswatini for regional soccer leagues.
This forms part of government’s programme of developing sports from grassroots level through the Tinkhundla Talent Search Initiative.
Each Inkhundla Centre is to get E20 000 and the disbursement of the funds started on June 4, 2026 where Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima, handed replica cheques to Hhohho and Shiselweni Members of Parliament (MPs) at Sigwaca House.
Today, June 5, 2026, Minister Nzima will proceed to Manzini and Lubombo regions where he will be handing over the E20 000 replica cheques to these two regions’ MPs at Manzini Central High School and KaLanga Technical Centre, respectively.
In his brief remarks yesterday, the minister thanked MPs for supporting football at regional level through sponsoring regional soccer leagues. He said as government had promised in the past, they will be supporting MPs in developing local football at grassroots level through the financial contributions the minister handed over to the parliamentarians.
“We see and we are very grateful to MPs for supporting not just football but sports at regional level. Through the Tinkhundla Talent Search Initiative, government aims at identifying and developing talent at grassroots level,” said the minister.
The 2025/2026 second edition of the Tinkhundla Talent Search Competition was officially launched by Minister Nzima last year in September at Esibayeni Lodge.
For the first time, it was announced that participation will occur at chiefdom level rather than the traditional Inkhundla level, widening the talent pool and ensuring that promising athletes from every corner of the country have a chance to be identified. Additionally, it was stated that the tournament will adopt a league format instead of the conventional knockout system. This approach guarantees more game time, exposure, and learning opportunities for young players, helping them develop their skills without the risk of early elimination.
Teams were allowed to register 20 players and five officials, with the competition targeting young boys and girls both in and out of school. The initiative is not just about sports; it aims to promote health, social cohesion, patriotism, and community unity, while creating a sustainable pathway for youth talent identification.
“The Tinkhundla Talent Search primarily seeks to unearth hidden talent and ignite football and netball passion across the nation through the hosting of this tournament. Beyond the sport isteslf, it’s aims to effectively utilise football/netball as a tool to improve national health, promote sport as a catalylist for social change, foster community unity and harmony while consolidating patriotism and national pride and also maximise participation in sport at grassroots levels, providing a suitable platform for youth football/netball talent participation.” said the minister.
The competition is supported and organised by a collaborative team comprising the Eswatini Football Association, Eswatini Netball Association, Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council, Parliament Sports Portfolio Committee, and the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs. The Ministry emphasised that sport is not only about recreation but also about empowerment, discipline, and national pride, with football being the most popular sport in the Kingdom.
As the 2025/2026 Tinkhundla Talent Search kicked off, young athletes across Eswatini had an exciting platform to showcase their talent, gain experience, and potentially launch careers that could see them represent the nation on bigger stages.
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(Courtesy Pic)
