Legacy of late Raymond Uren lives on

The Raymond Uren memorial athletics meeting was launched at the Fairview Sports Centre on Wednesday.

It will take place on Saturday March 29 at the Gelvandale track from 9am-2pm.

Uren played an influential role in the formation of the SA Senior Schools Sports’ Association (Sasssa) under the SA Council of Sport.

As deputy president of Sasssa, Uren was involved in crafting policies which ultimately caused SA to be expelled from international sport.

He was one of the few teachers who produced excellent academic results despite apartheid education being a huge problem.

In 1972, his school in South End was forcibly shut down and it relocated to Bethelsdorp.

His leadership qualities soon elevated him to become the second principal of the school until his retirement.

The school was a shining light, delivering brilliant students such as Robin Allen, Dr Keith Maart and Dr Randal Jonas, and top athletes such as Neville Mackenzie, Errol McLean, Beverley Sayster and Wenda Arnolds, who all became household names in athletics circles nationally.

Great sport administrators such as Maxwell Jordaan, Barry Hendricks, Allan Zinn and Derrick Hoshe were also produced under his leadership.

In 1985, Uren was incarcerated during the state of emergency with people such as Khusta Jack, Dennis Neer and Derrick Hoshe.

He was detained without trial.

In 2001, Uren received the Presidential Sports Award in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the sports struggle.

In 2009, he received the ICC Catch the Spirit medal for his service to cricket.

In 1993 shortly after retiring, he became involved in the land restitution initiative in Port Elizabeth, chairing both the PE Land and Community Restoration Association and the PE Land Restitution and Housing Association.

He served in these organisations until his death in 2011.

There are many more accolades which can be attributed to Uren.

In his address, Raymond Uren Educational Trust chair Reginald Jacobs asked whether people were happy with the way things stood.

He emphasised that every school in the metro must have physical education.

“We must get sport back in our schools.

“It teaches you how to handle defeat and reduces chronic diseases and improves mental wellbeing.

“Life orientation doesn’t make the cut. We must practise summer and winter sports in school.

“We must make the circle bigger.

“Schools should once again be the centres of excellence.

“My dream is that children should be back in provincial and national teams.”

In the keynote address, Dr Lizette Oosthuizen said a good heart and a good head were always a formidable combination.

She said Uren had stood for justice and had been a strict principal.

“He did not tolerate any unruly behaviour. One of the things we take from him is that he gave us the opportunity to grow.

“We were given the opportunity to broaden our horizons.

“He taught us to stand for what we believe in and spoke against injustice.

“We were taught the bigger picture and not to have self interest at heart.

“He made it clear we had something to add to humanity.”

Atlantic Aces are campaigning for the athletics meeting to be part of the Eastern Province Athletics Legacy Athletics Series across the metro.

The educational trust which was formed to support underprivileged students is now in its 11th year and is the sponsor of this historic athletics event.

The Herald