The city of Pietermaritzburg has determined to make itself into a centre for sport. Aquatic sports such as swimming will have a major role here when it is completed. At the heart of this is the construction of a multimillion-Rand Olympic-standard aquatic Park. It is being built at St Charles College. The R 170 million facility will be the first of its kind in the country. The first two phases of the construction project are expected to be completed by next November. The Objective of the Park was to be a high-performance aquatic facility in the province, uplift Pietermaritzburg and attract investment to KwaZulu-Natal. It will serve as a facility for the training and development of swimmers of all levels and ages and to be a premier aquatics destination where swimmers from across the continent can prepare for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“The park will be a key piece of the Southern African aquatics ecosystem providing a training and competition facility for South African swimmers, that include able-bodied, paralympic and special Olympic athletes. “It is intended as a base for the greater aquatics community. This is an inclusive park which places the city of Pietermaritzburg as an accessible centre of excellence for able-bodied, paralympic and special Olympic training. “Together with the cooperation of other schools in the city, and local swimming clubs with a proud tradition of excellent coaching, we aim to bring people from Southern Africa to Pietermaritzburg to participate in provincial, national and regional events that will provide the competition our aspirant athletes need to make it to the highest level of world competition,” said Van Blerk.
The creation of the Aquatic sports park for the training and preparation of young athletes for professional events such as the future Olympics is meant to improve South Africa and the Southern African region’s competition in sports. The facility clearly caters for all types of athletes both able bodied and disabled. The formation of this facility will doubt include swimming pools of different temperatures but also an indoor gym for training and strengthening muscles. Cardiovascular training will also be important. The importance of promoting swimming as a form of exercise as well as sport will also factor in to promote in terms of keeping well. This may lead to more than one swimming athlete bringing home at least some gold medals. The support of schools and swimming clubs would be essential to promoting this construction for the future of sports.
Meanwhile a new sports star is rising in KwaZulu-Natal due to the colours he received in three sports. Namely rugby, swimming and water polo.
Everraud Raynard has received provincial colours for three sports, namely rugby, swimming and now water polo. The former South Coast learner, who is now at school at Westville Boys’ High, was recently selected for the KZN U14 water polo team. They will compete in the South African Schools Water Polo champs in East London from December 7 to 11. The water polo team comprises Carter Seiler (Hilton), Casey Marks (Hilton), Cristiano Sandri (Kearsney), Cruz Chapman (Clifton), Dru Mills (Kearsney), Finn Mallett (Northwood), Josh Watson (Clifton), Lincoln Burger (Clifton), Matthew Thompson (Westville), Maxwell Fowlds (Clifton), Michael Spooner (DHS), Mitchel Rodgers (Clifton), Oliver Hunter (Hilton), Everraud Raynard (Westville). Unfortunately, Everraud will miss the first two days as he has been chosen to swim for South Africa in the 20th Africa Aquatics Zone IV Swimming Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, from December 4 to 7.
Raynard will have to juggle the sports he is playing with to see where he is needed the most to compete in. The competition in professional water sports such as KZN U14 water polo team is tough. These teams compete against each other achieve the most goals. It is a good way to gain experience in professional sport. The teams that compete in the South African Water Polo Champs are mainly from private schools and have under-went a lot of discipline. Public schools still have limited resources and the introduction of water polo to South African physical education is a recent phenomenon. The government needs to look at how to improve the interest of children amongst the wider generation into sport. Training to play for a professional sport even a water sport is expensive. The sports department and the private sector need to look at the wider picture.
As regards to Raynard he may one day be prepared to go to the Olympics. He may even train at the Aquatic Park in Pietermaritzburg.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
