Roller hockey and padbol in the mix at new Bay sports centre
An exciting new sports venue with an international standard roller hockey rink and two padbol courts, the first in SA, has been launched in Gqeberha.
The Go Big Sports Arena in Fairview is now open to the public, and the aim is to attract families and the youth.
However, it will also include a sports academy where the goal is to host local, national and even international events.
Nelson Mandela Bay political leaders have welcomed the new facility in Willow Road, which was initiated and funded by businessman Addie Jappie — and they believe this to be the perfect way to boost tourism and economic development in the metro.
It also boasts two padel courts.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday night, Go Big Sports Arena project manager Zee Agherdien said a year ago the site was simply an empty piece of land within the grounds of the Fairview Sports Centre.
“Thanks to Addie and our partnership with the Fairview Sports Centre it is now something magical,” Agherdien said.
“We believe it will be good for the community and through sport it will instil the passion and discipline our youth need to move forward successfully.
“It will also be a place for family fun and from [yesterday] it is open to the public.”
Besides the padbol and padel courts and the roller hockey rink, the arena includes a skate rental shop and a coffee shop with Wi-Fi.
Jappie said the impetus behind his drive to establish the new venue was the closure of the ice skating rink at Baywest Mall in 2022, where he had been chair of the East Coast Rebels ice hockey team.
Not wanting the young members of his team to go astray, but faced with the difficulties of establishing another ice rink, he recalled his own involvement in roller hockey as a youth.
“Roller hockey is quite similar to ice hockey so I knew that was the solution.
“I saw this piece of land here at the Fairview Sports Centre and talked to Clive Felix [management member at the Fairview Sports Centre] about the possibility of establishing just one roller hockey rink.
“We made many changes through the months but eventually, a year later, this is what we have established and I am very proud and grateful.”
He said his vision for the
arena was multi-tiered.
“I want to use it to get our youth off the street and at the same time to revive the sport of roller hockey in Nelson Mandela Bay, and boost it to a provincial, national and international level.
“This will be a fresh place for local families to come, and for visitors from out of town, but I also want to use it to produce high-performance athletes.”
He said the two courts for padbol — a mix of soccer, tennis, volleyball and squash, developed in South America — offered exciting possibilities.
“These are the first padbol facilities in SA.
“In Africa, it only currently exists in Egypt.
“So we are pioneering this sport here in Gqeberha.”
Felix said he and other members of the PE Land and Community Restoration Association, formed to fight for the rights of those dispossessed during the apartheid forced removals, had established the Fairview Sports Centre.
“People did not only lose their houses, they lost the places where they could relax and come together.
“So this new arena is in line with our vision of establishing access to a first-class sports facility at affordable prices.”
Bay economic development and tourism political head Shuling Lindoor applauded the new venue.
“Sport means development and this new arena will contribute to the economy of our city.
“Locals and tourists alike will enjoy coming here, and we will market it on all our platforms.”
Bay sports, recreation, arts and culture political head Bassie Kamana said the arena was in line with the integrated development goal of making Nelson Mandela Bay the city of choice for investment and tourism.
“This is a place of action and friendliness, united together. It will help us make this city the sports capital of Africa.”
Agherdien said while establishing the arena, they were required to register their roller hockey rink with the world body dealing with all roller skating sports — and had received some unexpected news.
“They told us we may in the future be in line to host the world roller hockey championships.
“So that’s a tangible goal and another reason to be excited about this development.”