Stars
28 May 2007
In 2005 the Free State was afforded the opportunity to host the 2007 South
African (SA) Games. Following the pronouncement that the province will host the
SA Games, which were last held by KwaZulu-Natal in 2005, preparations are in
full swing for the hosting of the Games from 23 to 29 September 2007 in
Bloemfontein.
The hosting of the SA Games in the Free State in 2007 follows the hosting of
this spectacular tournament in other provinces as follows: 2002 (Gauteng); 2003
(Eastern Cape) and 2005 (KwaZulu-Natal). The system of rotating the hosting of
the Games followed a resolution of the South African Sports Confederation and
Olympic Committee (SASCOC).
In the mid-nineties the Games were staged as development games by the former
National Sport Council and the then national Department of Sports and
Recreation (SRSA). The South African Sport Council, SRSA, the nine provincial
Departments of Sport and Recreation, National Sports Federations, National
Lotteries Board, Sports and Recreation Distribution Agency, private sector,
hosting municipalities, provincial academies of sports and other public sector
institutions embarked on the development and implementation of the Games.
The Games Programme
The 2007 SA Games in the Free State will be implemented as a partnership
between the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture as the lead department and
the Mangaung Local Municipality as the hosting city with support from SASCOC
which is the custodian of the Games.
The official launch of the SA Games will be on 1 June 2007 and will be in
the form of a media launch. The media launch will be characterised by the
unveiling of the official Games logo and the Games website.
Once the dust from the media launch has settled the real work of the Games
begins on 24 September with the opening ceremony. The teams and athletes from
the nine provinces will then sweat it out against one another from 25 to 28
September. The closing ceremony of the event will be held on 28 September. The
closing ceremony will include the medals award function during which the
winning teams will be honoured.
The following sporting codes will form part of the Games:
* boxing
* tennis
* cricket
* gymnastics
* netball
* table tennis
* golf
* athletics
* goal ball
* swimming
* football
* hockey
* rugby
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) that is charged with the preparations
of the 2007 SA Games in the Free State is constituted by the following
stakeholders: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture; Mangaung Local
Municipality; Free State Sport Academy; Free State Sport Council and Provincial
Sport Federations. The LOC has been confronted with and has managed to address
the following three main challenges:
* identification and renovation of sport facilities.
* identification and securing of accommodation for the athletes and
officials.
* securing funding for the hosting of the Games.
One of the primary aims of the 2007 Games in the Free State is to ensure
that a formidable legacy is left after the Games in terms of the playing venues
that shall have been renovated, the equipment that shall have been procured for
the various sporting code and skills development training that shall have been
conducted for the large army of volunteers who will be serving in various
capacities during the Games.
The 2007 SA Games in the Free State, guided by the motto: "Today's Youth â
Tomorrow's Stars", promises to be a watershed sport event which will also serve
as the dry run for the hosting of the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup in the Free
State and the City of Mangaung.
Enquiries:
Tankiso Zola
Manager: Communication and Marketing
Tel: 051 410 4735
Cell: 082 940 2392
Ntai Mokhitli
Media Liaison and Parliamentary Officer
Tel: 051 410 4795
Cell: 082 883 7317
Issued by: Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, Free State Provincial
Government
28 May 2007
