The 180 primary school athletes that made it into the Gauteng team at the Gauteng Primary School Athletics Championships on 26 and 27 February at the Roodepoort Stadium in Ruimsig, were treated to an honour’s function at the Multi-Purpose Centre in Cosmo City on 8 March.
Athletes in the U10 to U13 age groups attended the send-off event that was organised by the Gauteng Department of Education and the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation. The Gauteng team made their way to Port Elizabeth on 9 March for the SA Championships that takes place on 11 and 12 March.
The eager athletes, together with their family members attended the event to receive the certificates and medals as well as their new Gauteng Athletics team kits. Thato Machedi, the communication officer from the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation said that they are proud of the athletes who will represent the province in PE.
The athletes were reminded that they will no longer represent their school and their specific district, but that they have to function as one Gauteng team. The athletes were motivated by the fact that Gauteng placed first in the SA championships for four years in a row. One pupil shouted out in excitement and said that Gauteng means gold in SeSotho (from the word gauta).
The athletes were divided into eight groups as per their ages and gender. These age groups were then introduced to their team managers.
Some of the schools that attended were:
- Laerskool Fairland
- Laerskool Unika
- Laerskool Fontainebleau
- Maragon Private Schools
- Curro Aurora
- Orion College.
Details: Department of Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation, 011 355 2575.
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