SA municipal games hosted in Polokwane after a long break

POLOKWANE – Polokwane Mayor John Mpe said the 2022 Inter-Municipal Sports of South Africa (IMSSA) games currently underway at various sport facilities in the city will promote social cohesion and a healthy lifestyle among municipal employees.

The games which began on Monday, saw municipal employees from various municipalities around the country showcasing their talent in action cricket, aerobics, cycling, darts, fishing, golf, long tennis, running, netball, pistol shooting, pool, soccer, table tennis, volleyball and tug of war.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on October 9, Mpe said hosting such sporting activities is important for the city’s economy as there would be increased tourism spending on accommodation, transport, shopping and visiting of attraction sites.

“The games also present an opportunity for repeat visits to Polokwane. They are essential for the local economy, we would love to see the participants visiting our villages and interacting with our people. We remain grateful that IMSSA chose and trusted the City of Stars to deliver at this level. Our officials will be hands-on to ensure that they offer support to the organisers and that our facilities are in prime condition to deliver the best. We encourage residents to come out and support the games at various venues.”

Alpheus Mashamaite, IMSSA president, said they are happy to host the games after a long lay off due to Covid-19.

The previous games were hosted in Durban in 2019.

“We are happy to finally host the games in Polokwane and we want to thank the all the officials who worked hard to oraganise the games.”

Present at the opening ceremony was the newly appointed Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Nakedi Sibanda-Kekana.