B Creecy: Central Gauteng Athletics Sports awards

13 October 2006

Thank you Programme Director
Mrs Snowy Matthews - President of CGA
Dr Harold Adams - President of Boland Athletics of Athletics South Africa
(ASA)
Cllr Isaac Bangililzwe - Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) Sport Ekurhuleni
Metro standing in for the Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Councillor Duma Nkosi
Cllr Nandi Mayathula - Khoza Joburg Sport standing in for the Mayor of
Johannesburg, Councillor Amos Masondo
Mr Chris Britz - President Athletics Gauteng North
Mr Pierre Pretorius - President (Athletcis VaalTriangle)
Mr Attle Mponyane - from Limpopo
Mr Ivor Hoff - Chief Director of Sport and Recreation (Gauteng Department of
Sport, Arts and Recreation)
Representatives from the sponsors
Distinguished sportspeople
Distinguished guests
The media
Award nominees
Ladies and gentlemen

On behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and
Recreation, I would like to express my fervent greetings to you all. It is
indeed an honour to be afforded this opportunity to address this year's edition
of the Central Gauteng Athletics Awards.

Any nation's health and status is measured by the extent of its sporting
activities and achievements. To get a better view of a community, any
community, one needs only look at the kinds of sport and the extent of the
sporting activity each community is renowned for.

Sport continues to play a central role and will continue to contribute
massively to the sustainable development of our communities thereby entrenching
social cohesion. There is therefore no doubt that sport is a model by which we
are able to measure our societies.

The Department is currently managing 32 activity hubs which are located
within reach of our communities where they live. We are on course towards
achieving our target of establishing 50 activity hubs by the end of the
political term in 2009. We are happy that the private sector organisations have
partnered with the sports fraternity in awarding these accolades to deserving
South Africans in our province. These joint ventures just confirm the critical
link between the health of a nation and the success in the arenas of
sports.

In a very short space of time since our re-entry into international sports,
our province and country has distinguished itself beyond any doubt and defied
all belief as they collected medal after medal, winning championships even in
sports codes that were considered as other countries' domains.

Our triumphs both locally and abroad have been the work of the sportsmen and
women that we honour today. We are not only indebted to them, but are very
proud of what they have achieved for themselves, our province and South
Africa.

We want to reassure all the nominees that by virtue of their nomination,
they have already scored high in the country's scoreboard and a win today can
only add to the extra-ordinary sense of achievement that all of us feel
today.

Just as sports teaches us how to win and how to accept defeat, sport in
Gauteng has been particularly adept at breaking down racial, social and gender
barriers, becoming a potent force in the creation of a united non-racial
society in which citizens are able to lead healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
It is without doubt that the sportspersons we honour today will continue to
shine for it is through their achievements that we continue to promote Gauteng
as a home of champions and a preferred venue for all major and professional
sporting events in South Africa.

A landmark achievement for the Department was the adoption of the
Competitive Sport Strategy in 2005 whose primary objective is to attract major
sporting and cultural events to the province. Through the hosting of
competitive major events, it is envisaged to attract potential visitors
resulting in economic spin offs particularly in the hospitality and tourism
sectors. The strategy is therefore instrumental in meeting the Gauteng
Development Strategy forecasts that sport, cultural affairs, Information
Technology (IT) and smart commodities have the potential to generate
approximately 26% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the province.

An important feature of the strategy is its ability to serve as a unifying
factor where Provincial and Local Government, sport federations, promoters and
sponsors share a common vision in building Gauteng as a preferred destination
for cutthroat sport. As the Competitive Sport Strategy will be rolled out
during the 2006/07 financial year, R10 million has been allocated for its
implementation.

In recognition of the importance of representation in all national teams,
the province is financially supporting budding athletes to realise their full
academic and sporting potential. Priority sporting codes are soccer, rugby,
netball, cricket, athletics, swimming and boxing. An important aspect of the
programme is the training of at least 15 athletes annually to take part in the
National Academy for participation in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and
other national and international games. R5,6 million has been allocated towards
the development of budding athletes programme during the 2006/07 financial
year.

Feeding into the High Performance Programme are the Masakhane games held in
partnership with the Local Government, sport federations and sport fora with
objectives of identifying and developing talent as well as enhancing the skills
of coaches, technical officials and administrators.

Integral to the High Performance Sport Programme is the Gauteng Sport
Academy to be established during this financial year. Discussions are expected
to be concluded between the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic
Commission (SASCOC) and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and
Recreation.

Furthermore, the Gauteng province is delivering its goal of nurturing and
investing in young talent as it has established partnerships with five tertiary
institutions and their high performance sport centres. To date, one hundred and
ten (110) sports development bursaries have been awarded to students.

There are noticeable achievements, as the High Performance Academy Programme
has produced victorious athletes both at the national and international levels.
Gauteng province notes with pride that:
* in swimming, Thabang Moeketsane won silver medals at the Junior Commonwealth
Games and Suzann van Biljon got a Bronze for the 200m breast stroke at the
Commonwealth games held in Melbourne Australia in March 2006
* in netball, Tskane Mbewe has been selected to the national under 21 netball
team and Tuli Queka played for Thunder Birds and for Zone 6 Games in Namibia in
December 2005
* in boxing, Jackson Chauke emerged as a Silver Medallist in the Fly Weight
division whilst Bongani Mwelase scooped a Gold Medal in the Welter Weight
category at the Commonwealth games held in Melbourne, Australia in March
2006
*in rugby, Malungisa Nkosi was selected to the South African (SA) under 19
World Cup squad.

It is therefore important to acknowledge the hard work and commitment that
drives the CGA because for them to be able to invite us today to witness the
recognition of the achievements and talents of their athletes proves to us that
what we are witnessing today is a final product that has been preceded by
various interventions and programmes.

I therefore believe that the athletes who will be honoured today will take
up their ambassadorial-like responsibility as role models to further market
sport, recreation and healthy lifestyles to both the young and old citizens of
our province.

The Gauteng province extends its sincere congratulations to all the athletes
that are raising the province both nationally and internationally.

I hope I will be expressing a shared view by all of us as government,
federations, sponsors and other sport stakeholders in imploring you to ensure
that you remain clean winners and refuse the temptation to use drugs. Winners
do not indulge in performance enhancing substances such as drugs, they win
because of the hard work and passion they put in whatever they do, which is a
sure route to success.

On behalf of the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation,
the province and its people, I would like to congratulate all the winners, the
organisers, the sponsors and all those who made this event a night to
remember.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng
Provincial Government
13 October 2006