Gelvan Track Stadium was abuzz with excitement when the Tennyson Mackay Primary Schools Athletics First Series took place on Saturday.
According to event organiser, Derrick Hoshe, the event was a huge success, as over 400 children participated during the primary schools’ athletics meeting. Alpha Primary School’s march and drill squad opened the event.
Hoshe, who is the chairman of Atlantic Aces Athletics Club, and the founder of Willard Batteries Athletics, highlighted that the motive behind hosting the meeting was to revive this kind of sport at the schools in the region, and to keep the children busy in sport.
Lots of special guests, including the Mackay family, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality deputy mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, and her speaker, Eugene Johnson, Nelson Mandela University vice-chancellor, Professor Sibongile Muthwa,, Dr Beryl Botman and several school principals were among the spectators.
Hoshe revealed that Mackay was the first principal of Alpha Primary School and initiated the formation of Gelvandale Primary Schools’ Sports Association, and he later played a phenomenal role in the formation of the Eastern Province Primary Schools Sport Association.
“This event is used as a tool to revive schools’ athletics and to keep the children busy in sport. Mackay groomed Percival Thomas, Johnny Uithaler, Brian Jegels, Salome Lee, Cedric Hendricks, Jaco Jacobs, Peter Rockman, and Cyril Jansen. I am very happy that the primary schools came in numbers and this is a great event.
“The crowd was excited and enjoyed watching the 4x100m relay events that kept them on their feet. Our next meeting will be here at Gelvan Track on April 6, at 09:00.”
