DISKI99’S THIRD EDITION TO THRILL FREE STATE!

The Free State Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and Net Nine Nine will partner on 29 November 2025 for the second edition of the Diski99 Tournament, scheduled for the Thabong Stadium from 9am.

The relationship is at an advanced stage for the Free State sports controlling body and South Africa’s favourite closed-access internet service provider (ISP) who met during the OR Tambo weekend to tighten-up loose ends for the historic day in the Welkom region.

The Net Nine Nine (Net99) Diski99 tournament is a flagship youth development initiative aimed at advancing grassroots football and netball promoting social cohesion across the province, and this will help the department in their pursuit to revive school.

A strategic meeting was recently held between the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture in the Free State, senior departmental directors, and Net Nine Nine’s Chief of Staff to outline the framework for the upcoming tournament.

The engagement marked a significant milestone in reinforcing the partnership between the public and private sectors in the advancement of community sport and youth empowerment.

Building on the success of the inaugural Diski99 tournament, the second edition seeks to broaden its reach by including more districts and introducing additional development elements, like netball.

These will focus not only on nurturing football and netball talents, but also on fostering leadership, discipline, and life skills among participating youth.

Speaking after presenting her 18^th OR Tambo Memorial Lecture at the Ferdie Meyer Hall, Matjhabeng in Welkom on Friday, 24 October 2025, the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Ntombizanele Sifuba, reaffirmed her department’s commitment to partnerships that align with its mission of developing sport at grassroots level.

The collaboration discussions coincided with the department’s successful hosting of the OR Tambo Memorial Lecture over the past weekend, an event held in honour of one of South Africa’s foremost liberation leaders, Oliver Reginald Tambo.

The lecture formed part of the province’s OR Tambo Month commemorations, a period dedicated to reflecting on his legacy of unity, leadership, and service.

The synergy between the Diski99 initiative and the values embodied by OR Tambo was highlighted by both institutions, particularly the emphasis on empowerment, discipline, and nation-building through sport and culture.

Sifuba said, about the OR Tambo Games that succeeded the lecture on Saturday and Sunday, “through this tournament, and several other sport and recreation programmes that were implemented by the department, they continue to respond to the critical mandate of social cohesion and nation building”.

“Building a socially cohesive society is a bedrock upon which a prospective society should be build. The future of these young people who participate in these sport and recreation programmes is dependent on a society which is socially cohesive and united,” said Sifuba.

Net99 Chief of Staff, Nicholas Thipe said through the platform, the member of the CYNK Group, the leading ISP would provide opportunities for young people to showcase their talent, while also promoting values of teamwork, excellence, and resilience.

“This initiative contributes directly to our vision of a vibrant sporting culture in the Free State,” said Thipe.

He further expressed appreciation for the department’s continued support and partnership, emphasising the company’s dedication to community upliftment through sport.

“Net Nine Nine remains committed to investing in programmes that make a tangible difference in the lives of young South Africans. The Diski99 tournament has become a symbol of hope and opportunity, and together with the Free State Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, we intend to elevate it even further,” he said.

Further details regarding the official launch and schedule of the 2025 Diski99 Tournament will be announced in due course on this platform.