A NEW DAWN

There are a few milestones that every South African tertiary institution prides itself on – one of which is to host professional and international sporting events. The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is but a few months away from achieving this amazing feat. An upgrade to the pitch and athletics track, to meet the standards of World Athletics (previously known as the International Association of Athletics Federations) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL), will allow the Bellville-based campus to host matches from either tier of professional South African football.

These upgrades and notable changes – to what is affectionately known as the Operation Room – will not only bring professional athletes to UWC but also benefit the country’s sports federations.

Director of Sport at UWC, Mandla Gagayi, is in high spirits – and rightfully so. After all, UWC has always been at the forefront of ground-breaking feats, especially in sport. “It has always been part of our strategy to upgrade our facilities to standards that will allow us to attract top studentathletes while also generating income through rental to different sports federations,” Gagayi says, excited to speak of the great benefits the upgrade will have for both the University and sport across the Western Cape.

“We have always factored upgrades in our plans and requests to the University, and we are fortunate to have leadership that understands and appreciates the value of sport. The main field is being laser-levelled to the PSL standard so that we are able to host PSL and GladAfrica matches. And the athletics track is getting a new surface, including electronic timing, new long and triple jump, and pole vault and high jump areas, to get it to World Athletics standards so the University will also be able to host Athletics South Africa (ASA) national events.”

Advocate Nicolas Kock, an experienced sports administrator, chairperson of the UWC Rugby Football Club and a UWC lecturer with a 20-year tenure behind him, believes the facelift of the playing surface has come at the right time and that it will provide UWC with the muchneeded momentum to maintain its excellent results in the sporting arena, both on and off the field.

“The growth in student numbers, the recent drought and the creation of a high-profile competition have put our facilities under a lot of duress,” he says. “If we are to compete as an institution on the national stage, we need to provide top-quality facilities for our students. The current upgrade is a massive step in the right direction and, hopefully, we will be able to continue with this positive momentum.”

The improvements and upgrades to the gym will bode well for the rugby club in their

With sporting codes returning to the fields once more, the University’s upgrades to its sporting facilities will be a celebratory welcome for athletes

By Lyndon Julius | Photography: Peter Herring

efforts to attract the best players during their recruitment drives, according to Adv Kock. This will also allow UWC to be viewed as equal competitors, especially during the FNB Varsity Cup with the two other Western Cape universities in the competition, the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch University. “The upgrade to the field and high-performance gymnasium is a clear signal from our university that we intend to compete with the best out there. This is a very important message when we recruit prospective studentathletes and definitely makes our jobs easier.”

With the upgrades to the sport facilities expected to be completed in the second half of the year, it will add another element to the already very feathery cap worn by UWC, many of which were achieved during the time Gagayi has held his current position, which he took on in early 2015. In the same year, the Varsity Football side won the competition and UWC has since also been promoted to the FNB Varsity Cup. In addition, the UWC track and field athletes are regular podium finishers at University Sports South Africa (USSA) and Varsity Athletics events, and the University has a successful volleyball programme which was dominant at Varsity Sports beach volleyball tournaments.

This is not to say there are no contingency plans in place should the work to the sport facilities not be wrapped up on schedule. “If [late completion of playing surface upgrades] happens, which I doubt it will, we can always access external facilities for training as we currently do during the upgrades,” says Gagayi.

Along with these historic renovations to the UWC Sport Stadium, Gagayi highlights a few of the University’s longer-term goals. These are all partnerships that the UWC Sport department wish to establish to allow students access to world-class facilities and resources to perform their best. “Our leadership is also engaging the City of Cape Town Municipality to get the Belhar Indoor Sports Centre on a lease so our indoor sports, such as basketball, netball and volleyball teams, can have access to a training and competition venue. We further plan to raise funds to install a hockey astroturf on campus as our teams currently rely on municipal and local schools’ facilities.”

Expressing his excitement for the unveiling of the renovations, Adv Kock – much like most UWC students and supporters – looks forward to seeing a packed Operation Room in support of those donning the blue and gold. “Just seeing the upgrade of the facility unfolding over the past couple of weeks has been hugely rewarding. Having said that, there is nothing better than watching UWC play under the lights in the stadium, with students and staff alike cheering them on.”