Owen Kock
Bloemfontein. – The Free State will in future be able to prepare national teams for national and international participation on home soil, with the launch of Sascoc’s National Training Centre in Mangaung tomorrow.
The centre will include training facilities, scientific and support services and referrals to specialists while at the camp. The centre will be launched by Sascoc President Gideon Sam and Free State Sport and Recreation MEC Dan Kgothule in Bloemfontein tomorrow.
Sascoc will also partner with the Mangaung Metro Municipality, to make sure the centre is run at its optimal potential.
The main purpose of establishing this venture is to assist SASCOC’s National Federations (NFs) who are paying exorbitant prices each time they require the services of a training camp at a privately run centre.
The use of the facilities will be at no cost to the NFs. The SASCOC president, Gideon Sam says, “According to our mandate, that of team preparation and team delivery, the NTC fulfills that role. The launch of the NTC is a culmination of years of consultation and discussion with stakeholders. We are happy that the Free State government saw it fit to support this initiative, which in all respect
is a national endeavour to improve the performances of athletes at international level.”
MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in the Free State, Mr Dan Kgothule says; “My department, together with SASCOC, is bringing a National Training Centre to Bloemfontein whereby all the national teams will be prepared before they participate
internationally.”
The Free State Premier, Honourable Ace Magashule reiterates, “The Free State Provincial government welcomes the opening of this training centre in Mangaung. We support any sport initiative that places our young people at the centre, as it drives them away from crime and sluggish lifestyles. We view sports as an effective tool in social change; it instills discipline and, patience in participants. Most importantly, the role of sports in nation-building cannot be over-emphasised. It has the power to accommodate people regardless of race, gender, age and creed. We take delight in the existence of centres like these in our province, as they positively promote societal values we expect our young people to engage in.”
“On behalf of the city of Mangaung, we are honoured to be selected as the anchor for the National Training Centre to be used to prepare our athletes for the Olympics. Such an endorsement is certainly in line with our vision of positioning Mangaung as the centre of excellence in respect of sports tourism. Our central location and passion for the game put us in an advantaged position to contribute towards sports development in the country. To demonstrate our commitment, the city is working in partnership with the provincial government to upgrade our sporting facilities to meet international standards,” says Executive Mayor of Mangaung, Thabo Manyoni.
