The Zonal Golden Games event, open to those over the age of 60, took place at Prospect Field on Wednesday.
The Zonal Golden Games event, open to those over the age of 60, took place at Prospect Field on Wednesday.
The event was hosted by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture in partnership with the Department of Social Development and Age-in-Action.
The games included fun activities such as pass the ball, duck walk and ring the stick. For those willing there were more competitive events such as the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m running events and the 500m brisk walk.
Sports officer at the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Hilton Adonis said the aim of the Golden Games is to keep the elderly active, give them something to do in a warm and caring environment, and introduce them to people.
Over 200 senior citizens from the Makana and Ndlambe areas took part in the games. Adonis said that all service centres in those areas had been invited. The department handed over equipment to the centres present to enable them them to continue these activities.
Anthony Groats and Wilfred Appollis were neck-in-neck for the top places, with Groats winning the 800m and finishing second in the 100m sprint and 500m walk, and Appollis winning the 100m sprint and 500m walk, and finishing second in the 800m. The two will be among the other various winners who will now take part in the Cacadu Champs on 26 August in Humansdorp.
Appollis said he was happy to be able to take part this year despite being injured during last year’s event. Groats said he is looking forward to taking part in the Champs in Humansdorp.
At the Humansdorp Champs a Cacadu team will be selected to take part in the Eastern Cape Champs, from there an Eastern Cape team will be selected to take part in the National Golden Games in Port Elizabeth. Other competing provinces at the nationals will be the Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Free State.
