As Gauteng finalises its preparations for the South African Games taking place in Polokwane, Limpopo, from 1 to 8 of September 2011, the team has vowed to add to the status of the province by bringing back gold.
The team has held training and medical camps at the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Pretoria from May, with the last one held over the past weekend. Over 400 participants from Gauteng will take on athletes from other provinces in 15 different sporting codes including Soccer, Rugby, Boxing, Athletics, Netball, Swimming, Tennis and Cricket.
“These games provide a platform for greater participation in competitive and high performance sport, and this can only be good for turning our athletes into world class performers and winners,” says MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Lebogang Maile.
Since inception of the games in 1995, Team Gauteng has won the championship three times in 2002, 2004 and 2005, while it came second after KwaZulu-Natal in the last games held in 2007.
The games have produced top South African sport personalities and athletes including the Common Wealth and African gold medal winner, swimming sensation, Thabang Moeketsane, and well-known 800m gold medallist, Mbulaheni Mulaudzi.
Meanwhile, MEC Lebogang Maile will, on Friday, 30 September, address the team during its send-off function at the HPC in Tshwane before its departure to Polokwane on Saturday.
“Gauteng is not short of the talent, potential and power to dominate sport in the country. The team and all of us are looking forward to the opportunity to reclaim our glory and to prove why we are the home of champions” added MEC Maile.
Media are invited as follows:
Date: 30 September 2011
Venue: High Performance Centre, Tshwane
Time: 18h30
Enquiries:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Tel; 011 355 2598
Cell: 083 507 8068
Team Gauteng gears for glory at the 2011 SA Games
Province
