NATIONAL JUKSKEI WINNERS
Amavundle coach and players bring home medals
SILVER MEDALS: Amavundle Primary School in Thornhill in the Ntabethemba area are celebrating the achievements of pupils Ntlantla Simelane, second from left, and Avela Rini, second from right, who put the school on the world map by walking away with silver medals at the Under 16 national Jukskei winter games 2022 in Benoni recently. With the pupils at the ceremony are, from left, sports master Andile Chuma, coach Nteboheng Moshoeshoe and principal Nobuntu Bunu.
Jukskei, a throwing and precision sport that is increasingly gaining popularity in SA, has helped put a rural school near Komani on the world map.
Amavundle Primary School in Thornhill Village in the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality this week celebrated 10 of its jukskei playing pupils, two of whom returned from the U16 national jukskei competition at the SA Schools Winter Games with silver medals. The other eight were lauded for making the provincial tournament.
On Tuesday this week, parents, pupils and teachers ululated and clapped as they welcomed Avela Rini and Ntlantla Simelane.
The pupils were praised for their achievement and excellent work in both the provincial and national games.
Jukskei is a sport which involves throwing a pin (skei) towards a peg which is placed upright in a sand pit. The aim is to knock the peg down for points.
Coach Nteboheng Moshoeshoe said the school had introduced the sport in 2016. Ten pupils from the school participated in the provincial stages. Only five players in the entire province could be selected to advance to the national games. Simelane and Rini, both from the Chris Hani district, were selected alongside three other players from Joe Gqabi district to head to the national games.
A proud Moshoeshoe said each of the players had displayed great skills and she was very happy they were selected and managed to go far in the games. Although the fields were a different setting for the players, Moshoeshoe said the other teams were intimidated by how talented they were.
“Players from Gauteng province tried to give us a hard time. I had to motivate the players to keep pushing and focus on the game.”
Moshoeshoe said she also received a medal as one of the coaches. The players were also individually provided with sports kit. “We want parents to encourage their children to participate in sporting activities,” she said.
In welcoming the guests, principal Nobuntu Bunu said: “We have this
Even at this small institution we have a great deal of talented young stars
achievement that we could not keep to ourselves. We felt that we had to inform parents and different structures of the community that even at this small institution we have a great deal of talented young stars who have put this school on the map. As we always encourage pupils to excel academically, we also encourage them to shine in other aspects as well.”
Ward 30 councillor Mtotose Ndyalvani emphasised the importance of parental and teacher support. He said young players were now able to enjoy the fruits of liberation and were able to contest in different sports codes.
He said all of this was made possible by the struggle icons who also hailed from rural areas, such as Nelson Mandela, Chris Hani and Walter Sisulu, in the fight for freedom.
Nobuntu Bunu PRINCIPAL, AMAVUNDLE PRIMARY