Eastern Cape (EC) older persons are in joyful mood after being crowned 2013 Champions of the National Golden Games. The two-day games took place in Boksburg City Stadium in Gauteng Province where all nine provinces participated in 13 sport codes.
Behind Eastern Cape were last year’s champions KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and third placed North West. EC and KZN were always neck to neck from the beginning of the games on 23 October 2013 but on the last day EC displayed championship performance.
By the end of day one, EC was leading KZN by just one point but by end of the games EC had accumulated 536 points against KZN’s 497. North West had 456, followed by Gauteng on 447, Limpopo 366, Free State 356, Western Cape 328, Mpumalanga 284 and Northern Cape on 262.
Most of EC’s gold and silver medals came from track run, passing the ball, ball relay; ring the stick, passing the ball, pegging the washing pegs and kick and rugby ball throw sport codes. They were outplayed only on male soccer where they were beaten by KwaZulu-Natal by 7-0 on the first game and going on to lose another game by 5-0 and draw 2-2 on their third and last game.
Jubilant EC Team after being crowned Champions of the 2013 National Golden Games held in Gauteng
After losing to KZN with a small margin in North West last year, EC came to Gauteng with one thing in mind, winning. “We don’t know how we lost to KZN last year, but we knew we gonna take it this time around. It is a very great feeling to be crowned number one…we feel honoured but it was a team effort,” said 400m runner Mbelekane.
MEC for Social Development and Special Programmes Pemmy Majodina, who was present for the whole duration of the games, was happy of the outcome. I am very happy that older persons from my province are champions. It’s a great achievement for them after coming number two last year and three the year before. Of cause these games were not about winning but healthy living for our senior citizens but to be crowned champions is always great,” said MEC Majodina.
The games are designed to encourage active ageing to older persons. They are through collaboration between the Department of Social Development and Sport and Recreation. Social Development are custodians of older person and Sport and Recreation are custodians of sport as enshrined in the Constitution.
