City’s skate cup postponed
contractual issues prior to the KDC event scheduled for October 3 to 8,” McFerran said in a statement released yesterday afternoon. “In lieu of this issue, World Skateboarding Grand Prix (WSGP) must postpone the event.
“We sincerely regret this decision to delay the world-class skateboarding contest. I want to person- ally apologise to the Northern Cape people, whom I have come to love and who have treated us so well over the years, as well as all supporters of and partners to the event. I am profoundly disappointed the event will not proceed as previously scheduled.”
“We hope to have some positive information about rescheduling soon.”
McFerran added that should provincial government not make its overdue payments and fulfill its contractual obligations, WSGP would seek alternatives in order to ensure the continuation of this highly popular event, which includes the TopGrom, African and the South African skateboarding championships, at another location.
“It is important to continue these events as the youth of South Africa have become dependent on this activity as a way to improve their lives, and it is even more critical now that skateboarding is in the Olympics.”
While exact figures have never been made available, the skateboarding competition, which was initially known as the Maloof Money Cup, has been heaped in controversy since its inception, with the then provincial chairman of Cope, Fred Wyngaard, stating in 2012 that the Department of Roads and Public Works spent R74 million on buildings and other fixed structures for use during the inaugural event.
This amount represented an over-expenditure of R26 million or 156 percent of the budgeted total.