R4.6-billion training centre set for Bloem

NEW Minister of Sport and Recreation Thulas Nxesi has revealed that his department has committed funding for the establishment of a R4.6billion National Training and Olympic Preparatory Centre (NTC) to be based in Bloemfontein.

Speaking at the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) general meeting yesterday, Nxesi said the NTC is the first of its kind in the country and represents a decisive step by government and Sascoc to invest in highperformance sport.

“Previously our top athletes have had to go to other countries to receive the necessary training and preparation. The NTC changes that, saves on costs and safeguards information relating to our athletes from the competition,” he said.

“Since Sascoc presented the project to Sport and Recreation, the department has engaged all provinces to commit 5% of their conditional grant budget to this vision. Today, I am pleased to inform you that the provinces have agreed to increase their commitment to 10% of their ring-fenced budgets. The NTC also links to earlier initiatives such as the academy system and the sports bursaries.”

Director-general in the department Alec Moemi added that currently they were running the centre as a temporary site but were in the process of building a permanent site. “Right now the site is physically there, we have built a few gymnasiums which are operational and can cater for about six codes but we want to expand it to the 16 priority codes. We now have a bigger budget to build a world-class facility,” said Moemi.

“The quantity surveyors have told us that it will require at least R4.6billion to build the whole thing which includes facilities such as hospitals, recovery centres, accommodation for athletes, gymnasiums, testing centres and laboratories. It will take us up to 12 years to complete building it and at the current funding levels we are looking at investing in excess of R90-million a year.”