As we proactively prepare to host the 2023 Netball World Cup in the Western Cape, in the City of Cape Town particularly, Minister Anroux Marais, yesterday, launched a new netball facility at the Gabriel Pharo Sportsgrounds in Darling in the Swartland Municipality.
The new R320 000 netball facility will serve to create the enabling environment needed to increase local mass participation, skills development and talent identification in the code of netball to amplify our provincial inclusion at higher levels of excellence.
At the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, as we now navigate into and through our new norm, we encourage excellence and inclusiveness in sport and culture through the effective, efficient and sustainable use of our resources, and through creative partnerships with others. In moving to excellence, we create the conditions for compliant access and safe mass participation, talent identification and skills development. With this mission, while we are socially distanced, we aim to collaboratively create an inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape.
At the fully compliant to COVID-19 protocols launch, held outside on the new courts, with 15 attendees socially distanced, Minister Marais said, “As we experienced a world without sport in mid-2020, it is now not only heart-warming but encouraging when new sport and recreational infrastructure projects reach completion and is handed over to our valued partners in the municipality and federations to increase safer participation while uplifting our communities through sport and cultural affairs. Participation in sport, skills development and talent identification remain priorities of our department. We continue to strive to contribute to the holistic development of our sportspeople and communities alike, to create an enabling social environment through sport and cultural affairs. There is no doubt in my mind that the much needed sense of hope and team spirit will indeed be honed and celebrated on these courts”.
With the above in mind, we have a responsibility to protect the well-being of sport federations and participants and will not hesitate to take a safety-first approach to our operations over the coming months. We will continue monitoring the situation, and we are committed to work with our partners in ensuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our sectors, affected events and programmes will be minimized to ensure sustainability of the sector.
We thank all who had a hand in the success of this very significant launch, particularly our valued partners in the district for their exceptional collaborative work done in service of the people of the Western Cape, bringing into fruition innovative solutions to unprecedented circumstances. We thank you wholeheartedly for creating the enabling environment needed to live healthier lifestyles in safer environments, more prepared for tomorrow as we now navigate into our new norm in the sector.
Stacy McLean
Spokesperson for Anroux Marais, Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Western Cape Government