Launch of Annual Sports Festival

Front Row FLTR: Essie Esterhuyzen (Fietsry), Martin Davids (Rugby), Katy Britz (Ballroom), Edith Josephs (Interim Sports Council Chairperson), Mandilakhe Matika (DCAS), Ian Laubscher (Sports Development Officer) Back Row FLTR: Brian Lucas (Sports Development Assistant), Dean Damons (Dominoes), Jan Van Niekerk (Rolbal), Dirk Van der Westhuizen (DCAS), Gabriel Majolla (OLFA interim chairperson

Oudtshoorn, 07 June 2022 – The Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality launched the Sports Festival that will start 15 June – 16 July 2022, on Thursday last week and Cllr Sonia Bentley, chairperson of strategic services of the municipality, welcomed all stakeholders after a two-year break because of Covid-19.

The Sports Festival 2022 is organized by Oudtshoorn Municipality in conjunction with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), Oudtshoorn Sports Council, Eden Sport Council and Regional and Provincial Sport Federation.

Acting Director of Strategic Services, Mr Luwellyn Coetzee, gave an overview of how the festival is included in the strategic focus of the council. Coetzee stated that Oudtshoorn municipality is in the process of establishing a strategic vision where sport is one of the focus points and on how to bring Oudtshoorn back to be the Sports Mecca it used to be.  To do this, he said the municipality must find ways to address the structural damages and also form a partnership with DCAS.  “The Sports Festival fits into the picture of getting investors and funds to build the Greater Oudtshoorn into. The focus of the festival will be on the youth to bring the sport back to our schools, townships and specifically the rural areas,” he stated further.

Dirk Van Der Westhuizen was also invited to the launch and represented three institutions namely, Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports, Oudtshoorn Motor Club as well as a resident of the Greater Oudtshoorn.  Van der Westhuizen said that DCAS will fund the Sports Festival with an amount of R50 000 and also fund the Rural Tournament with R60 000.  He also thanked the officials and council for initiating this project years ago. “There is nothing more important to bringing revenue to our town.  I want to urge residents of the Greater Oudtshoorn, to become part of the sports festival.  Be part of this to make money as a business and through sport we van really generate revenue,” he said.

“The Oudtshoorn Municipality will be the leading partner of the sports festival, and with the financial support from the DCAS, we are enabling sports federations to host major events in Oudtshoorn,” said Ian Laubscher, Oudtshoorn Municipality’s sports development officer.  “The main objective of the sports festival is to promote Oudtshoorn as a preferred sports destination within the southern and western cape, to promote sports tourism as well as social cohesion.

Laubscher announced the following programme for the Sports Festival: