4 minute read
BELIEVING IN THE RESILIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS
MANDLA GAGAYI, DIRECTOR, UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION
IT WAS A BITTERSWEET START TO 2022 for the UWC Sport family, following the loss of my trusted ‘quarterback’, Adrienne Galagatsi. Galli’s departure came unexpectedly and shook us to the core. UWC Sport will never be the same without her. Her contagious laughter in our corridors, her shades at our braais and her obsession with more money for her clubs will be missed dearly. Adrienne’s passing is a reminder that life is too short, and that we must be grateful for each day and live each without regrets.
I’M HAPPY TO FINALLY ANNOUNCE that our facilities upgrades are completed. We now boast a stateof-the-art high-performance centre, a brand-new rugby and football surface, an IAAF-accredited athletics track, a modern VIP lounge and Venue Operations Centre. We are grateful to the university’s leadership for recognising the importance of sport in our university and surrounding communities. Our next big projects will be a hockey astroturf and an indoor sports centre. Any support from investors and philanthropists will be highly appreciated.
We purchased two buses in December 2021 to upgrade our ageing fleet and ensure safe travel for our student athletes. These have been happily received by student athletes and coaches.
OUR SUCCESSES AT UWC SPORT are always centred around people. It is in that spirit that we go all out and even make sacrifices to keep everyone in the UWC Sport Family happy. Thanks to this, we managed to recruit and retain all our coaches since 2020, our student athletes have continued to perform to the best of their abilities, and my colleagues in the office continue to deliver world-class administration in the face of limited resources.
Our support structures and collaborators always play a significant role in all our successes. A special mention has to go to our leader, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: SDS, Prof Pamela Dube, and her office staff, the Institutional Advancement Division, the Registrar’s Office, the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, the Infrastructure and Engineering Division, and many more departments and units within UWC. I must also give special recognition to Vasco da Gama Football Club for allowing their field to be used by our women in football matches while our main field was under construction. It is no surprise that they won the Sasol National Championships. Their spirit of Ubuntu is admirable. The Western Cape Sports School continues to be our pillar of strength with regard to pre-season accommodation for our student athletes. All these support structures deserve a huge share of every bit of success that comes our way.
I THANK ALL THESE PARTNERS because Adrienne has taught us to be honest and grateful for every little help that we get and that we must honour and thank one another while we are still alive.
THE YEAR AHEAD PROMISES to be very busy. With all sports activities now allowed to take place, we will face many USSA national competitions, continental competitions as well as the biggest of them all, the World University Games. Some student athletes will also face the prospect of attending face-to-face lectures for the first time in three years. While some serious reorientation and academic support interventions will undoubtedly be needed, I always believe in our students’ resilience and I know they will surpass all expectations.
IN CONCLUSION, we must constantly remind ourselves that COVID-19 is still around. The excitement that comes with our country’s reopening of all economic sectors must not push us to levels of recklessness. I wish everyone a very safe, wonderful and responsible first semester.
I Am UWC.
