eThekwini Games to showcase local talent

AIMED at identifying and nurturing talent, the eThekwini Games were officially launched on Monday at Moses Mabhida stadium and will feature more than 4000 athletics from across the city. The games are the third biggest sporting event in the country after the South African Games and South African Local Government Authority (Salga) KZN DSR Games.

Presenting the long-term strategy for the games, Head of Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, said that the games were part of the City’s five-year plan to develop sports and take it to a higher level.

“The five-year plan seeks to achieve five objectives, namely, mass participation; A clear identification on the roles and responsibilities of various sports bodies in the management of provision of sports and recreation in relation to the municipality; the building of sports and recreation structures at ward level; Identification and provision of necessary resources and Delivery and quality management of sports facilities,” said Ngcobo.

Each of the 110 wards within the municipality were required to provide teams to compete in at least six of the 16 sports codes that are provided for in the games. Each ward was required to form a sports committee under whose guidance and leadership these games were organised and managed.

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All preliminary games at ward level have been played. On Saturday the games will be played at district level, with the winners from the districts competing at the semi-finals and then ultimately the final, where the 2018 eThekwini Games champions will be crowned on Sunday.

The schedule for the games are as follows:

Olive Convention Centre – Boxing and Karate

Hoy Park Sports Field – Chess, Netball, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball and Indigenous Games

Cato Manor Sports Ground (21 July) – Soccer

Bayview Swimming Pool – Swimming

Chatsworth Stadium – Athletics

Durban Station Hall – Table Tennis and Dance

Newlands Oval Parloc – Cricket

Windsor Park Golf Course – Golf

George Campbell High School and Growth Point Outdoor Fields – Rugby

All games start at 8:30am. They will end with a Prizegiving Ceremony scheduled to take place at the Olive Convention Centre on Sunday at 3pm.

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