Road runners in and around East London will no longer have to leave the EC for their careers to flourish. The respected Green Team is in town.
The Nedbank Running Club, known for producing champion athletes in prestigious long distance running events, has opened a branch at The Hub, Tribal Sport shop in Beacon Bay.
So dominant is this green team that more often than not when attending established marathons, one is guaranteed to see green at various points of the first five runners leading the race.
Among big-name elite athletes under under the Green Team national roster is former comrades marathon winners Ludwick Mamabolo and Claude Moshiywa, and the reigning champion of the Heroes Marathon Ntsindiso Mphakathi.
In fact, with the opening of the East London branch stars like Mphakathi, who run out of Johannesburg although born in Port St John’s, may consider coming back home.
Chairwoman of the newly opened East London branch Yvette Louw said their main focus would be on the development of underprivileged aspirant road runners to set them on the path to stardom.
“This newest branch of the Green Team will mainly focus on the development of underprivileged road runners who do not have the financial means to participate in big events,” said Louw.
“We will be building and preparing athletes who in the future should become a force to be reckoned with in national and international road running events.
“There is an abundance of talent in this part of the world that has not been discovered yet and given the chance to compete on the big stage and we want to tap into that,” she said.
The East London branch of the Green Team is only the second in the province, with the other located in Port Elizabeth.
Its opening will be a major boost to a province seen as a lame duck in road running.
Already, the club is comprised of 35 members in just two days of its official opening.
Louw said intake was unlimited, calling on all and sundry in East London and the former Transkei area to join.
The benefits of being a member of the club include all-paid-for travel and accommodation expenses for elite athletes during sport events taking place in other provinces.
Seasoned national trainers such as Nick Bester and other members of the Nedbank Running Club national elite runners contingent assist in getting the East London branch into gear, said Louw.
For this year she was positive that East London would push to have competitive runners with chances of being added to the national Green Team.
The club will, however, have a wide reach that goes beyond the competitive side of things.
Services for the physical wellbeing and healthy lifestyle of the general public will be offered, “especially for women and athletes with disabilities”.
Border Athletics president Dan Louw said the federation welcomed all new clubs “on even basis without elevating one above others”. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
Green Team in town to boost fresh talent
The Nedbank Running Club, known for producing champion athletes in prestigious long distance running events, has opened a branch at The Hub, Tribal Sport shop in Beacon Bay.
So dominant is this green team that more often than not when attending established marathons, one is guaranteed to see green at various points of the first five runners leading the race.
Among big-name elite athletes under under the Green Team national roster is former comrades marathon winners Ludwick Mamabolo and Claude Moshiywa, and the reigning champion of the Heroes Marathon Ntsindiso Mphakathi.
In fact, with the opening of the East London branch stars like Mphakathi, who run out of Johannesburg although born in Port St John’s, may consider coming back home.
Chairwoman of the newly opened East London branch Yvette Louw said their main focus would be on the development of underprivileged aspirant road runners to set them on the path to stardom.
“This newest branch of the Green Team will mainly focus on the development of underprivileged road runners who do not have the financial means to participate in big events,” said Louw.
“We will be building and preparing athletes who in the future should become a force to be reckoned with in national and international road running events.
“There is an abundance of talent in this part of the world that has not been discovered yet and given the chance to compete on the big stage and we want to tap into that,” she said.
The East London branch of the Green Team is only the second in the province, with the other located in Port Elizabeth.
Its opening will be a major boost to a province seen as a lame duck in road running.
Already, the club is comprised of 35 members in just two days of its official opening.
Louw said intake was unlimited, calling on all and sundry in East London and the former Transkei area to join.
The benefits of being a member of the club include all-paid-for travel and accommodation expenses for elite athletes during sport events taking place in other provinces.
Seasoned national trainers such as Nick Bester and other members of the Nedbank Running Club national elite runners contingent assist in getting the East London branch into gear, said Louw.
For this year she was positive that East London would push to have competitive runners with chances of being added to the national Green Team.
The club will, however, have a wide reach that goes beyond the competitive side of things.
Services for the physical wellbeing and healthy lifestyle of the general public will be offered, “especially for women and athletes with disabilities”.
Border Athletics president Dan Louw said the federation welcomed all new clubs “on even basis without elevating one above others”. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
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