Healthy Team Spirit Highlights West Coast Better Together Games

The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) hosted the 2017 West Coast Better Together Games on 13 October at the Vredenburg Sports Grounds and Golf Club in partnership with the Saldanha Bay Municipality, Old Mutual, Nedbank and Peninsula Beverages.

The annual Western Cape Government Better Together Games (BTG) is a sporting event where national and provincial departments, local municipalities and other government institutions participate in friendly competitions against each other in different sport codes. This event contributes to improving employee well-being and building team spirit. The Eden District started on a high note on 22 September at the Van Riebeeck Stadium in Mossel Bay. Central Karoo followed on 29 September at the Rustdene Sports Grounds in Beaufort West with the Cape Winelands on 6 October at the Boland Park Stadium in Worcester. The Metropole Better Together Games is scheduled for 27 October at the Blue Down Sports Stadium and will be one of the highlights during National Recreation Month.

This year the West Coast brought together teams from across the district who participated in a number of codes that varied from indigenous games to golf and squash. Different teams from as far as Bitterfontein and Rietpoort were proudly united by the National Anthem after the traditional parade where distinct team spirit and creativity were showcased. Deputy Mayor of Saldanha Bay, Cllr Eventhia Vaughan welcomed the enthusiastic participants and their loyal supporters. DCAS Chief Director for Sport and Recreation, Dr Lyndon Bouah encouraged valuable networking opportunities, general well-being and focussed on the values of friendship and excellence.

Collective efforts and achievements were acknowledged and the top achievers were as follows:

• Four Special Forces Regiment under the leadership of Colonel Yalo took time out from their complex military environment and went for gold, silver and bronze in Jukskei, gold and silver in Darts and the 10km Cycling, gold in the 2,5 Fun walk and silver in Soccer, Dominoes, Volley ball, Tug-of-war and Drie stokkies.
   
• DCAS proudly claimed gold for Netball, Tennis females and the 6km Fun run and gold, silver and bronze for the 2,5 Fun walk.  Danrich Booysen (2017 Provincial Sport Award winner) from the MOD Centre at Maskam Primary School in Van Rhynsdorp received silver for Table Tennis and his colleague Denven Bocks, Head Coach from the School Sport Cluster in Citrusdal, received gold.
   
• The Cederberg Municipality received gold in Dominoes, Tennis, Klawerjas and Golf and the Saldanha Bay Municipality received gold in Tug-or-war and Rugby.

DCAS encourages employees to use sport as a tool for team spirit. Let’s invest in our general well-being and improve our potential and corporate productivity, BETTER TOGETHER.