Minister Anroux Marais' speech at recognition of notable sportspeople

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT, ANROUX MARAIS

RECOGNITION OF NOTABLE SPORTSPEOPLE AWARDS ADDRESS  

6 DECEMBER 2017

Good evening, molweni, goeienaand

It gives me great pleasure and honour to welcome you to this very significant ceremony as we recognise and celebrate the sporting excellence of esteemed sportspeople hailing from the Western Cape. The sports stars officially celebrated here today have done us immensely proud. They have held the Western Cape’s name high at national and international sporting events. 

Today, we not only honour sporting excellence, but I take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for making the conscious decision to firstly participate in your respective codes, grabbed the opportunities afforded to you, put in the hours of training and sacrifice, became accustomed to a healthy lifestyle and had the self-confidence and determination to compete on various levels of excellence. Through your determination and will to succeed, you have not only made us proud but you represented yourself, your families, communities, clubs, province and some of you, our country at prestigious sporting events. This is no small feat and I do not think you fully realise the profound implications your excellence in sport truly holds.

As South Africans, we come from such a rich history, hold endless potential and as a nation, our beauty lies in our diverse cultural heritage and all we have to offer. Despite all our accolades and successes, with all the challenges and adversities we face, the world does not necessarily regard us in this positive light, even our own fellow South Africans are oblivious to the splendour that is South Africa.

How best to show the world and others how proud we are of where we come from, to where we are, to what is about to come than through developing and showcasing South African sporting excellence. Sporting events are the single most prominent events to be broadcast worldwide and has the greatest audience globally. That said, I am sure your powerful positions are becoming a bit more clear in that you have the power to change the global perception of not only South Africa but of your communities through your sporting finesse.

It is for this reason that I would personally love to afford every child who calls the Western Cape home the opportunity to participate in sport and why this Department goes the extra mile in creating an enabling environment to provide access to mass participation, talent identification and skills development. As we commemorate 16 Days of Activism for no Violence Against Women and Children, all our sportspeople here this evening, especially our all-girls teams, have assisted us in this mission as you are the beacons of hope and inspiration who personify the ability of sport to bring diverse groups of people together in creating hope and instilling tolerance and unity. For this, I thank you wholeheartedly.

Once again, congratulations on each of your achievements and thank you for the influential role you have and will continue to play in representing our beloved country and province with much pride. Always remember, virtue before vice, values before vanity and principles before personalities.    

I thank you.