AE WANTS GIRL CHILD INVOLVEMENT

MANZINI – Athletics Eswatini (AE) is calling for more girls to join the sport.

This comes after a few turned up during the AE Senior National Championships first build-up competitions held at Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday. This saw some events having one lady to compete in while males dominated theirs. The federation has called for clubs to do more recruitment of the girl child and parents to encourage their children to join the sport. The second build up competition is billed for May 8 with the national championships on May 22 at Mavuso Sports Centre.

Present

In 400m, only three girls competed as compared to about 20 men that were present. The three girls were Correctional Services Sibahle Tsabedze, Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) Athletics team’s Nokwanda Dlamini and Usuthu’s Sayinile Ndzimandze.  In 800m there were also three girls competing and they were Correctional duo of Gugu Mthembu, Temaswati Mthupha and Swazi Slojos’ Nondumo Kunene. AE Public Relations Officer (PRO) Victor ‘Mavikane’ Dlamini said this was a cause for concern. In total, there were 116 males that have registered to compete for different events while only 49 girls registered. Erikah Seyama was the only lady to compete in the high jump.

Dlamini said the federation was on the drive of developing and recruiting at regional level but that has been stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dlamini said they hoped to get a positive response in their athlete development where they aim to increase and sustain the number of youth and sub-youth athletes and push them all the way to elite athlete.

Discussion

“It is a great concern and we will have to work on it with the clubs. It is part of the discussion during the Pigg’s Peak strategic and operational plan that was held in Pigg’s Peak a fortnight ago,” he said.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: