Athletes out to make amends at the Games

The eighty-four athletes who will represent the Eastern Cape at the National Indigenous Games in Limpopo on September 8 are now preparing to challenge for the top spot after finishing in fifth position last year.

The team that was selected last weekend during the threeday provincial indigenous games at Police Park in East London saw the Chris Hani District leading the pack with 19 athletes selected for next month’s spectacle.

Three municipalities came in second position; Amathole district municipality, Buffalo City Metro and Sarah Baartman district municipality with 13 players selected from them respectively. Nelson Mandela Bay Metro followed with 10 athletes, the Joe Gqabi district municipality has nine players selected. Alfred Nzo district municipality has seven.

Provincial department sport, recreation, arts and culture head of department Mzolisi Matutu could not stop raving about the athletes they had chosen for the national event.

“I’m glad that all these talented athletes, who are young took a decision to be part of these games.

“They could have been somewhere and tempted to do wrong things like being involved in drugs abuse. But they chose to live a healthy and active lifestyle through sport and recreational activities.”

Matutu also congratulated those athletes who made the cut out of the 580 athletes that participate at the provincial leg of the games.

“I am hoping they will represent the province well at national indigenous games during Heritage Month in September,” said Matutu.