6 October 2006
The 2006 Vaal Canoe Challenge was launched today and is set to be one of the
most exciting races on this year's sport calendar.
The 2006, reaching its half century mark, will attract many top crews from
all over South Africa and abroad. Paddlers can expect excellent water releases
and good competition over the two days of gruelling racing, which takes place
on 4 and 5 November over a 75-kilometre stretch.
"The fact that this race is 50 years old and coincides with the 50th
anniversary of the anti-pass laws march, is a milestone in our strategy to
position Gauteng as the home of champions and the preferred destination for
competitive sport," said Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation
Barbara Creecy.
The race is a K2 race with day one seeing paddlers starting at the Vaal Dam
wall at 09h00 and ending 42 kilometres downstream at the Albatross Ski Boat
Club in Three Rivers. Day two starts at the Vaal River Barrage and ends 33
kilometres downstream at the Smiling Through resort.
This year's Vaal Challenge has attracted numerous partners, amongst others
the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Hansa,
Powerade, Men's Health, Nando's and Clover. These partnerships will make the
race to be one of the largest sporting events in Gauteng. The race will have
camping facilities, a flea market, live bands and beer tents for the paddlers
and public over the weekend.
This year's challenge has a special surprise planned for women paddlers,
during which they will be treated to equal prize money as the male competitors
and given special gifts. A number of other events will also take place.
The Vaal Canoe Challenge also has development plans that will run for the
next four years. The initial phase of the plan is involving schools in the area
in canoeing with on-site training. This will be done by providing guppy races
for children and the introduction of a formal training program. The development
plan has already started in August and organisers are planning to have the
first schools participating in races by the time of the Vaal Challenge in
November.
SACR has plans to involve international paddlers and get them to train in
the Vaal region for major events, to relocate sprint training and provide a new
sprint venue in the Vaal region.
All these development initiatives are a direct result of the Vaal Challenge
Canoe Race 2006. "On behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government I would like
wish all the paddlers good luck for the race," said Creecy.
In addition, paddlers and spectators will be able to access live 3G coverage
in real time of the rapids in the race.
Enquiries:
Wayne Olwagen
Tel: (011) 432 2724
Cell: 082 4563 700
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Tel: (011) 355 2578
Cell: 083 507 8068
Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng
Provincial Government
6 October 2006
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za)
