Pretoria - More than 180 000 pupils from 300 schools are set to receive better access to opportunities in sport through the School Sport Mass Participation Programme launched by the Gauteng Provincial Government on Friday.
This programme will serve as a tool to identify talented and skilled youth who will then receive support from the department to reach their full potential. It is hoped some world class athletes who will represent the province and the country in competitive sporting events will be produced.
Speaking at the launch of the programme in Mabopane, north of Pretoria, the Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Barbara Creecy said: "The programme encourages learners to embrace healthy lifestyles and schools are encouraged to foster a culture of mass participation by all learners and not just select a few."
It further encourages participation in sport and recreation activities within the disadvantaged schools, especially schools in high crime areas, farm, rural areas and government priority nodes.
The MEC explained that the programme was a joint initiative between the department and Gauteng Department of Education which started in 2006 with only 96 schools with an average of 600 learners participating per school. Today, however, more than 300 schools and 180 000 learners were benefiting from this project across the province.
Ms Creecy said the project had also resulted in more than 300 young people being employed and being able to contribute to the provincial economy and Growth Domestic Product (GDP).
The School Sport Mass Participation Programme project works closely with the Mass Participation Programme (MPP) that runs in 50 hubs throughout the province.
"The hubs provide the learners with further opportunities to pursue their talent in chosen sporting codes. The MPP implements sporting, recreational and arts and culture codes and projects in their recreational facilities which are located in community leaders," she said.
The partnership between the two programmes will ensure greater utilization of physical facilities, additional human resources and better implementation of services rendered.
The MPP was launched in 2005 by the National Department of Sport and Recreation to facilitate access to sport and recreation by as many South Africans as possible, especially those from historically disadvantaged communities.
It was also introduced to encourage the public to participate actively in sports with the objectives of promoting good health, self-realisation, community development and social cohesion
