A CHILD in sport is a child out of court.
These were the words of Nelson Mandela Bay MMC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Bassie Kamana, during the recent launch of the metro’s huge investment into its sporting fraternity.
A total of R1.2 million has been invested in various sporting codes across the metro, including rugby, soccer, volleyball, judo, boxing and darts. Speaking at the launch held at the Young Park Tennis Club, Kamana said that a community that does not invest in its youth is a perishing community.
“As Nelson Mandela Bay, we see ourselves as the Mecca of sport and we are taking our responsibility of assisting sports federations with equipment very seriously so that they are able to exercise their duties with pride,” Kamana said. “We must invest in our youth and create an enabling environment for our children to play, and for the coaches to perform their duties and actively train our kids.”
Kamana added that clubs were invited to apply, and this year they have helped 34 clubs, approximately four clubs more than last year.
“We hope that we will be able to eradicate social ills like crime and drug abuse through this, and we encourage our youth to fully participate in sport, and in so doing, move away from the social ills that have the potential to destroy their lives.”
He called on all the club managers to work hard at professionalising their clubs in order to attract more young people.
“We understand that this assistance is not enough, looking at the magnitude of the challenges we have. We will continue to mobilise more resources within government and the business sector,” he added.
Kamana mentioned that the municipality was on the right path towards placing itself on the international map with regard to the hosting of international sporting events, the recent Isuzu IRONMAN African Championships being a prime example.
“Foundations have been put in place, and we are now known around the world for hosting world-class international events. We now want to continue building world champions from the dusty streets of our townships,” said Kamana.
He emphasised that vandalism remains a problem within the metro, and that sporting facilities and equipment should be taken care of.
“We also have the challenge of the vandalism of sporting facilities. These things happen in our areas. We need to come up with innovative ways as clubs to safeguard our facilities.”
Chairman of the Fairview Rovers FC beneficiary, Ruaan Sauls, said that every bit of support helps.
“Every bit helps. We are from a poor community. This is a good sign that our pleas are beings listened to. Even one ball donation makes a difference,” he said.
