R50 000 up for grabs for Comrades’ top 10 winners
This was the challenge and commitment made by Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) Mayor, John Mpe, during the district's athletes send-off ceremony at the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex in Polokwane on Saturday.
POLOKWANE – Athletes who can make it to the top 10 will receive R50 000 each.
Several athletic teams across the district will take part in the 90 km Comrades Marathon which will be held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal this Sunday.
Mpe said athletes who can manage to finish the ultra marathon in the top 20 will also be declared Capricorn District Municipality’s 3-in-1 marathon ambassadors.
“Our municipality will pay all the expenses for these athletes when they compete in both the Two Oceans and the Comrades Marathon in the coming years,” Mpe added, saying they are confident their athletes will bring home gold medals.
“It was important that we do not let our flag bearers go to a competition of this magnitude without a gesture of goodwill and throwing some weight and support behind them,” he said.
He told CV that as a municipality, they commit themselves to play their role in the public-private partnership to ensure sports programmes in the district are financially well supported.
“By doing so we believe our athletes will always be fit to challenge every marathon, both provincially and nationally.
“Plans are underway to launch a mayoral intervention fund that will uplift athletes from impoverished backgrounds.”
Mpe added the municipality continues to use sport as a vehicle to fight crime, social ills and teen pregnancies as well as build social cohesion and unity among its people.
Department of Sport Chief Director for Sports, Kgathane Choshane, said they believe in their athletes and they believe they can make it. “Bringing home gold medals will be a sign to the whole country that Limpopo is the home of champions,” Choshane said.
The Provincial Sports Confederation General Secretary, Herbert Shiluvani, said failure to support the sports industry in Limpopo will lead to failure to produce sport stars.
