“A child in sport is a child out of court.”
This was a slogan which came to mind as the Eastern Cape sports, recreation, arts & culture department hosted a Provincial Social Cohesion Dialogue this week under the theme “Accelerating sport transformation to level the playing field”.
Emerging from the dialogue was a strong feeling about the dire state of sports facilities in township schools.
Speaking at The Tramways building on Tuesday, KwaNobuhle resident Tamsanqa Nkevu said the difference in terms of infrastructure, accessibility, maintenance and safety between facilities in suburban schools in Nelson Mandela Bay and their counterparts in the townships was stark.
“In KwaNobuhle, sport at schools has collapsed,” Nkevu said.
“I went to one school on athletics day and the grass was taller than some of the small children.
“I had to hire a lawnmower to help them.
“Meanwhile, across in the white schools the kids are playing on their fields until 10 in the evening.”
It is a situation which needs to be addressed with urgency if we are ever to deal with this disparity.
Sports play a crucial role in the physical, mental, and social development of children — from fostering healthy lifestyles and instilling discipline to promoting teamwork and leadership.
And participating in sport has become more important than ever in today’s digital age, where children are often drawn to sedentary activities such as video games and social media.
So while we welcome dialogues such as this, more needs to happen on the ground if we are to truly level the playing field.
Communities — teachers, religious leaders and parents alike — need to encourage children to participate in sport or physical activity.
But they need a safe and conducive environment in which to do this.
So we implore the sports, recreation, arts & culture department, its support structures in government and those in the corporate world and civil society to work together to ensure measures are put in place to safeguard existing facilities and — down the line — establish more across communities.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.