MEC for Health, Phophi Ramathuba has urged aspiring athletes not to let their rural or impoverished backgrounds deter them from reaching for their dreams.
Ramathuba addressed attendees, including athletes from across the province, at the inaugural opening of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s Rural Sport Development Programme at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Monday.
The recently nationally introduced programme aims at giving children from rural areas equal opportunities to take part in sport and will be rolled out in all five districts of the province.
Ramathuba said the athletes must emulate top sportspersons such as Caster Semenya and the late Mbulaheni Mulaudzi who made it to the international stage despite their depleted backgrounds. “Despite decades of neglect by the apartheid government, rural areas continue to produce top athletes who are competing internationally. Caster and Mbulaheni started their careers in the dusty streets of their villages. They had no facilities but they defied all the odds that were stacked against them. They became champions because they adopted the mindset of champions. They conquered the world and refused to cower in fear and self pity,” Ramathuba said.
“We want those who are aspiring to be the best in the world from remote areas to adopt the same attitude. This Rural Sport Development programme is designed specifically to give them support,” she added.
She vowed that the government would start assisting children in rural areas with logistical support to utilise sport facilities in the city. “Government has also noted that participation levels in sport are low, particularly in provinces like Limpopo. We want to do this because we know all our children want to become world class athletes,” she concluded.
Capricorn District Executive Mayor John Mpe in his message described the programme as an important cornerstone of the social programmes that must be pursued to bring about social cohesion and livelihood opportunities to underdeveloped communities.
“The programme aims at giving children from all areas equal opportunities to take part in sport. Sport is the lifeblood of any society and we also want to equip these young people with sport facilities. We will continue developing rural sport by ensuring that there are resources and sport equipment in the rural areas for our athletes,” Mpe said.
Story and photo: Herbert Rachuene
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