Bloem’s SA Games in Four Days

There are only four days to go to the opening of the fourth edition of the SA Games, which will take place in Bloemfontein from the 24th to the 28th of September 2007, and at which more than 5500 athletes, technical and support staff from all nine provinces will gather to compete in 13 different sport codes.

With only 5 days for final preparations to host the games at the 23 venues that will be utilised during the competition, many of which have had to undergo major renovations and the City of Mangaung together with the Free State Department of Sports Art and Culture, who form the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), have worked really hard to ensure that the venues are ready for competition.

The sport codes that they will participate in are include amateur boxing, amateur golf, athletics, cricket, field hockey, football, goal ball, gymnastics, netball, sevens rugby, swimming, table tennis and tennis, and the Games are open for participation to athletes between the ages of 13 and 19, including disability sports.

Accommodating and catering for 5 500 people for 5 days is no easy task, but the LOC certainly seem to have everything planned to the finest detail. The SA Games are overseen by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the nine provincial departments of sport and recreation, the relevant national sports federations and the LOC.

"Games of this magnitude certainly present itself with a unique set of challenges, however the cooperation between the various stakeholders has been phenomenal," said Patience Shikwambana, 2007 SA Games project manager.

Added Vinesh Maharaj, CFO of SASCOC: "One of the major challenges we continuously face is funding, and we would really like to thank National Lotteries for their financial contribution.

"Free State Sports and Recreation department and the Mangaung City have also made significant financial contributions to ensure the success of these games. The SA Games would surely not take place without all their support."

The SA Games provide a platform for aspiring athletes from every province of South Africa to be afforded the opportunity of competing at a national level. It also acts as the ideal mechanism for talent identification and placement in Provincial Academies of Sport for accelerated development and eventually international participation.

The SA Games are part of SASCOC’s comprehensive programme that is geared towards producing world-class sport stars, who will proudly carry the South African flag into the future.