OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Oudtshoorn will host the kickboxing national championships from 26 to 28 April.
The national event which is organised by the South African Kick-Boxing Association (SAKA) in partnership with the Oudtshoorn Municipality and the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) is set to attract approximately 1 500 to 2 000 kickboxing athletes and their supporting families from all over the country to Oudtshoorn.
“This is not only a momentous event for the Greater Oudtshoorn but also continued affirmation of the town as the sports mecca of the Southern Cape,” said the Executive Mayor, Colan Sylvester.
“The good news for our economy is that this event offers concrete marketing and revenue generation opportunities for the town specifically in the tourism, hospitality and financial businesses for the weekend,” Sylvester added.
The Oudtshoorn Municipality has contributed an amount of R20 000 towards the tournament plus additional contribution that includes venue sponsoring, mobile ablution facilities, emergency support and municipal communication and media support.
The main stakeholder, DCAS, supports the SAKA national championships by supplying trophies for this event. The department’s vision is to “unite people through sport and culture to ensure a creative and active Western Cape”.
The national tournament will be preceded by a Mayoral Gala event on Friday 26 April that will officially launch the national championships and also acknowledging the contributors to the tournament. The MEC for the DCAS, Minister Anroux Marais, Mayor Sylvester and the National president of SAKA are among the top dignitaries that are expected to attend the event.
A local member of the Western Cape Kickboxing Association, Ranger Grebe, who is also a member of the local organising committee that has been organising the event expressed his delight to be hosting the tournament. “Our mission is to objectively promote and practice kickboxing in all its modes and styles and we are happy and blessed to bring national kickboxers in our town.”
The local organising committee that comprises the provincial committee members of SAKA, officials from the DCAS, Oudtshoorn-municipality and emergency agencies met on Tuesday this week to finalise arrangements for the national championships.
The tournament will take place at the De Jager Sports Complex and entry to the tournament is free of charge. Security will be intensified to ensure the safety of all attendees. Weigh-in is on Friday 26 April and between 12:00 and 15:00.
The tournament is hosted over two days, Saturday 27 April and Sunday 28 April. The juniors compete on Saturday while the seniors are fighting full contact in the boxing ring. On Sunday the seniors will be competing for the tatami while the juniors battle it out in the boxing ring.
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