The Eastern Cape is sending a 157-strong team to the National Indigenous Games championships starting in Limpopo tomorrow.
The objective is to improve on last year’s disappointing sixth-place finish for a place in the top-three, Team EC co-ordinator Mboniso Feju said.
Historically Team EC has been a force to be reckoned with in iintonga and kgati. Last year they finished third in both these categories.
Feju was positive that an improvement this time around was imminent.
Of the seven districts making up the provincial team, Chris Hani has the most participants and has always been the spine of the team.
Alfred Nzo – hosts for the provincials that were held last month – where the team travelling to Limpopo was selected have the least members in the team, with only four.
“What is key about these games besides the competition is social cohesion, because this is the only event that brings together in one place people of different races and different tribes from all over South Africa,” Feju said.
“We do have great athletes who would push for a top finish any given day but ours is a struggle because we never have camps before the national event unlike our counterparts in other provinces,” he said.
“That right there is our is our disadvantage but we remain positive for a third-place overall finish.”
The province’s over-reliance on Chris Hani district is also not helping Team EC. In this year’s team, Chris Hani has 49 participants, while Amathole comes in at second with 34. Nelson Mandela Bay Metro follows with 33, Joe Gqabi has 16, OR Tambo has six, while there is only four for Alfred Nzo.
In Khokho and Dibeke, Team EC is banking on NMB Metro, Chris Hani and Sarah Baartman to dish out top quality performances.
Feju said Chris Hani remained the breeding ground of indigenous games.
“People do not take these games seriously in other regions but there is a lesson they can learn from Chris Hani on the importance of these games.” Eastern Cape is traditionally not good in Ncuva, Morabaraba and Diketo disciplines.
The Limpopo-bound journey starts in Queenstown today as registration is due to take place tomorrow.
Fired up for Indigenous Games
The objective is to improve on last year’s disappointing sixth-place finish for a place in the top-three, Team EC co-ordinator Mboniso Feju said.
Historically Team EC has been a force to be reckoned with in iintonga and kgati. Last year they finished third in both these categories.
Feju was positive that an improvement this time around was imminent.
Of the seven districts making up the provincial team, Chris Hani has the most participants and has always been the spine of the team.
Alfred Nzo – hosts for the provincials that were held last month – where the team travelling to Limpopo was selected have the least members in the team, with only four.
“What is key about these games besides the competition is social cohesion, because this is the only event that brings together in one place people of different races and different tribes from all over South Africa,” Feju said.
“We do have great athletes who would push for a top finish any given day but ours is a struggle because we never have camps before the national event unlike our counterparts in other provinces,” he said.
“That right there is our is our disadvantage but we remain positive for a third-place overall finish.”
The province’s over-reliance on Chris Hani district is also not helping Team EC. In this year’s team, Chris Hani has 49 participants, while Amathole comes in at second with 34. Nelson Mandela Bay Metro follows with 33, Joe Gqabi has 16, OR Tambo has six, while there is only four for Alfred Nzo.
In Khokho and Dibeke, Team EC is banking on NMB Metro, Chris Hani and Sarah Baartman to dish out top quality performances.
Feju said Chris Hani remained the breeding ground of indigenous games.
“People do not take these games seriously in other regions but there is a lesson they can learn from Chris Hani on the importance of these games.” Eastern Cape is traditionally not good in Ncuva, Morabaraba and Diketo disciplines.
The Limpopo-bound journey starts in Queenstown today as registration is due to take place tomorrow.
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