2016 will be a massive year on the sports front with the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro being the main highlight that these athletes are working towards.
There must be something special to have more than 40 countries’ best athletes travel all the way to the sporting capital of the North West to train under the African sun.
Jean Verster, the manager of the HPI, believes that this year has been the biggest and busiest yet in terms of the number of athletes that have flown in to train and says the facilities and services get better each and every year.
“The first bunch of athletes already arrived in November and has been training full steam ahead. We host some of the world’s best record holders and coaches from all around the globe. It is an excellent platform where our local athletes and coaches can advise or learn from the international superstars and vice versa,” Verster reiterated.
Some of the national federations represented include France, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, Germany and so forth.
Star athletes include the likes of French triple-jump champion, Teddy Tamgho who is the current world indoor record holder, the hurdles specialist, Pascal Martinot-Lagard, Polish middle-distance runner, Adam Kszczot and Amel Tuka, who came third in the 800-metre in the World Championships.
“World class athletes such as the former Olympic javelin champion and legend, Jan Zelezny, have been training in Potchefstroom since the mid-nineties already. This says a lot about the excellence of the facilities,” added Verster.
One of the main reasons for the success of the HPI in attracting international top quality athletes on a yearly basis is a combination of great service and outstanding facilities.
Here are photos of the Swedish team during one of their practice sessions this past Monday: Photos – Wouter Pienaar
“We make sure that athletes, coaches and other personnel are catered for with the best accommodation, food, medical services and entertainment. The Tlokwe Local Municipality also does a lot of good work for the international athletes in this regard. This is definitely the prime training destination,” expressed Verster.
The weather is always a big positive as well as that Potchefstroom is generally on the same time zone as the European countries. Furthermore, being 1440 metres above sea level gives athletes the best conditions in which to train. “I believe we tick a lot of boxes in the Athletics Federation’s checklists for the ideal training destination. Some of the athletes also stay a little longer to compete in our first athletics meetings. This is a great opportunity for local and international athletes to bond and test themselves against the best.”
