It was a wet and cool morning, but that did not deter hundreds of Cape Town school children to turn up in numbers for the first Western Province Athletics (WPA) Youth Challenge at Jan Burger Sports Complex in Parow on Saturday.
Children from as young as five years old, with some trotting with bare foot along their parents and siblings, took part in the fun-filled and action-pack 3km and 5km races.
The idea, according to the WPA, was to to build better and stronger relationships with schools in the Western Cape communities, to identify young, up and coming talent in the disadvantaged communities and to promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Judging by the outcome, the mission was accomplished. And Michael Schouw, WPA board member responsible for the development of athletes, agreed. “This event has proven that young people don’t necessarily want to sit at home and do nothing. They want come out, be together and have fun.”
Schouw said although June was the Youth Month, in athletics fraternity it is mainly associated with older people as the attention is put on them with the hosting of the Comrades Marathon. “So we want to turn it around and make it important for young people too. Our vision is if comrades marathon can have 20 000 athletes then we must try and get 20 000 kids together and have fun. It is youth month and why must we celebrate only older people? We should be celebrating children.”
Schouw said although they were happy with the turnout, the association was concerned about the fact that the first event attracted mainly primary school children. “We need to work on making it appeal to the young adults as well.”
There were lucky draw prizes, and the schools with the most participating entries won prizes. First place got a prize to the value of R7500, second place walked away with a prize to the value of R5000, and third place took home a prize to the value of R2500.
