Among the country’s top sports personalities attended the launch in the Diamond City. Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield was among the VIP guests as was Proteas Netball assistant coach Dumisani Chauke.
ONE of Africa’s largest annual school sports events the Absa Wildeklawer Sports tournament was relaunched at the Vaal Motors premises on Wednesday evening in Kimberley after a two-year break induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
South Africa’s top sporting schools will be sending their sports battalions of various disciplines to the Tournament which will take place in Kimberley from April 24 to May 2, and as per the tournament tradition games will be played at the Diamantveld High, Newtown Primary and Kimberley’s Boys High school premises.
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Among the country’s top sports personalities attended the launch in the Diamond City. Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield was among the VIP guests as was Proteas Netball assistant coach Dumisani Chauke.
The local and national business elite were in attendance as well. The corporate guests included Absa banking’s Managing Executive Stonie Steenkamp and Jannie van der Westhuizen.
Politicians who graced the occasion were Zamani Saul, Premier of the Northern Cape, and Kimberley executive mayor Kagisho Sonyoni who welcomed the guests on behalf of the host city.
The 13 year-old tournament itself has added completely new variations to its bouquet of activities which had been suggested by the sponsors. An Absa MegaU bus with free wifi, Virtual Reality rugby games, a Playstation including an Absa “Kuierkamer” (hospitality room.
Other innovations to the spectacle include a “Kick for post challenge” where the lucky festival goer will win a R500 voucher sponsored by the sponsor bank.
On the medical side the usual paramedic services have been boosted by the addition of a chiropractor and four massage therapists who will operate from the Absa Recovery Zone.
Stonie Steenkamp, Absa SA Managing Executive, said in his address to the audience: “We continue to support sports development in our country through this tournament and remain committed to providing a platform for young sportsmen and women to showcase their talents.”
Cassie Carstens the Operations Manager for the tournament was excited over the fact that things were up and running again. “We are extremely grateful to Absa for their commitment to sports development and choosing to partner with us in bringing this tournament to life again.
“Absa Wildeklawer has produced 20 Springbok rugby players since 2009 and we are confident that with a partner like Absa we will produce more professional sportsmen and women.”
In his address Carstens mentioned that the tournament will have significant economic spin-offs for the province, injecting more than R120 million into the provincial fiscus.
He said, in all 182 teams are part of the tournament from 85 schools from around the country while 24 schools are from the host province with 4,239 participants excluding spectators and sponsors.
The evening was rounded off with a panel discussion which involved interviews with the VIP guests Matlock and Chauke live on stage.
Of course, the venue sponsor, Vaal Motors, also chipped in with an unveiling of the latest and top of the range Mercedes Benz vehicles for the automobile aficionados who were present.
For more information on the tournament, click here.
