Programme director
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It gives me a great pleasure to be addressing this important event although in absentia. It is indeed regrettable that I could not give this address in person due to other official commitments.
Let me take this opportunity to extend my appreciation for this kind of a sporting event to take place in our province. I understand that this event has been growing in leaps and bounds with last year’s tournament attracting 100 ladies from across the province. May I wish the tournament well in its quest to be the best and to grow within the province. As the department we give an undertaking to support Free State Chess Association in all its efforts to promote this very important sporting activity in the province.
Programme director, as the Free State we were proud to host the South
African Chess Championships on 3 December 2007. At those championships, the then MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mr Ace Magashule, indicated that our hosting of these championships is in line with our turn-around strategy on sport and recreation. This turnaround strategy that the department adopted emphasises a number of elements which include:
* promotion of sector scarce skills
* long-term retention strategy for Free State talent
* sustainable programmes for sector marginalized groupings
* adequate client services grants
* establishment of 2010 unit to implement sector legacies
* establishment of effective sector governance structures
* giving stipends to volunteers
* development of sport facilities.
I want to stress today that the department has not and will never steer away from this path of sport development as guided by our turn-around strategy. I want to emphasise that the hosting of major sport events such as this Free State Chess Association ladies tournament falls within our strategic thrust of promoting the Free State as the province with a passion for the game.
Programme director, honoured guest, ladies and gentlemen, I want to echo the words expressed by Mr Magashule at the 2007 South African Chess championships. I agree with him that chess plays an important role in the intellectual development of people given the thinking process required in the playing of this game. As both a sporting and recreational activity chess plays an important role in the lives of those who are engaged in it.
I am therefore delighted that there is this effort to bring to the centre of this sport those who were marginalised before, women in particular. I understand that of the 100 women who participated in last year’s tournament 60 percent were from the disadvantaged background. This must be encouraged. It is important that we demystify the image of chess as an elite sport which is mainly played by the intellectuals. Sporting codes such as chess must be brought to the centre of sport. We must promote mass participation in chess. Chess must be taken to the people wherever they are.
Programme director, it is my considered view that it will take serious efforts and strength on our part, as sport administrators and players, to ensure that these kinds of sporting activities that are not considered as ‘sexy’ receive the necessary attention and support. The trend that we see of certain sporting activities receiving sponsorships of millions or billions of sponsorships and others be relegated to the margins is something that we have to bring to a halt.
May I take this opportunity to wish this ladies tournament well. I hope to soon directly interact with you further.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Free State Provincial Government
9 October 2009
Source: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Free State Provincial Government (http://www.sac.fs.gov.za/)
