Moyahabo Mabeba
LIMPOPO – THE overwhelming gloom that has engulfed school sports in recent years has been replaced with an aura of euphoria with a comprehensive fixture programme.
The restoration of pride that has long been associated with mass participation of learners across the board kick-starts in earnest at district level next Friday.
The multitudes of young athletes will converge at Hlogotlou Stadium in Monsterlos in the Sekhukhune district, where they will participate in ball games, track field and indigenous games.
Tournament director, Benny Boshomane confirmed the sporting codes in the ball games category as football, softball, netball, basketball, rugby, volleyball, tennis and table tennis.
The indigenous games feature inter alia, kgati, khokho, jukskie, and morabaraba.
There will be an enduring task in the track and field class where athletes will sweat through the pain barrier to reach the finishing line.
The programme will then proceed to the Capricorn district, where Polokwane and Seshego will be a hive of activity on August 14 and 15.
The Mopani and Vhembe districts will host the programme on August 22 and 23 and Waterberg on August 28 and 29.
The curtain will come down in the Waterberg district at the Mahwelereng Stadium on August 28 and 29.
Boshomane says he is optimistic that the future looks well for school sports, citing the monetary mainstay they receive from the department of sport, arts and culture.
“We are on a revival mission to restore the dignity, pride and mass participation of school sports. There is a lot of mass partaking at school level and given the support we are now getting from government, we will pull all the stops to revive sport in schools. We intend to produce youngsters who will later become the best sportsmen and sportswomen of this country.”