WATCH: All systems go at the new medical facilities at the Wanderers

The Bidvest Wanderers Sports Medical centre has officially been opened.

The facilities are aimed at providing medical services to both underprivileged and elite sportsmen and women around Johannesburg.

Craig Govender, the founder and owner of the centre, said his vision was to have the best medical facilities in Johannesburg with top practitioners. “We want to create an environment that can now cater for underprivileged players,” he said.

“We want to give the youth the best possible services available. I want continuity. I want to create a database for all these kids who can now go through the ranks, be screened and assessed.”

Ivan Blumenfeld of Original Fitness who has invested in the centre said it was always a dream of his to be involved with such a great initiative. “We need exposure for the tools and the facilities that we have, we need sports people to use them to improve their performances on the field,” he added.

Blumenfeld said the facilities would play a huge role in developing young talent to perform at the highest level. “The problem with young athletes these days is that they are not very active and they get a lot of the common injuries which sometimes prevents them from going further with their careers,” he explained.

Govender, who is also the physiotherapist for the Highveld Lions, added that one of the things that inspired him to come up with the idea of the centre was seeing how disadvantaged children suffered from the lack of specialist treatment.

“We want to develop the best athletes in the world,” he said.

“We want to give them a sense of what a professional is at a young age, and when they are at the highest level they will have [fewer] injuries and [be] more aware of their bodies.”

Details: Craig Govender 074 147 4423.