The Magnificent Wednesdays School Sports League was officially launched in the Motheo District, with 85 schools from across Mangaung participating in the League. Under 13 and 19 boys and girls from schools all over the province will partake in soccer, netball and volleyball every Wednesday until the final games in September.
Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe launched the provincial leagues on 5 May at Intabazwe Stadium in Harrismith. Since then schools in all five districts have been participating in the League. According to the Free State Department of Education, they hope to revitalise the School Sport Leagues to encourage learners to take part in extra and cocurricular programmes. The aim is also to render support to curriculum delivery in schools, eliminate social ills that hinder the delivery of quality education in schools, identify learners’ talent, and expose them to possible sports career paths.
At the launch in the Motheo District, the MEC addressed and encouraged some 15 000 learners at the Dr Molemela Stadium in Rocklands. “The message regarding the League is very clear to all of us. Every Wednesday, every child must partake in the games. We want to make sure we produce the best learners in the Free State and sport is a very important part of that,” said Makgoe.
Motheo District Director December Moloi told Bloemfontein Courant that the Sports League sends out a very clear message. “We must allow our learners to be physically active and fit. It’s important that our learners are not only in class, but on the sports field as well.”
He added that allowing the learners to partake in the different sporting codes every Wednesday means that a holistic learner is being developed. “We don’t only want learners who are book smart. We wants learners who are made up of all the elements that will give them the necessary means to be great.”
Justine Fortuin
