11 Apr 2016

The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture will construct public gyms countrywide as an effort to encourage fitness among members of the public.

Speaking during a handing over ceremony of a sand volleyball pitch and netball ground at Metsimotlhabe recreational park on Friday, youth minister, Thapelo Olopeng said the public gym that would be used by everyone for free, was yet another effort that aimed at promoting fitness among members of the public.

Last year, the minister declared every second Friday of each month a national fitness day. He said their commitment was to spread around the country sports facilities and equipment such as football pitches with artificial turf, netball and volleyball pitches as they had been ranked among the most common sport in the country. 

The minister said although the aim was to have an entirely healthy nation, they had monetary constraints to roll out the national fitness program country wide. He cited that his ministry assisted  youth in behavioural change programmes to discourage them from engaging in drug and substance abuse hence projects such as this. 

Giving the project brief, deputy permanent secretary, Peter Mongwaketse, said there was a noticeable low participation of Metsimotlhabe youth teams in sport activities.  

He explained that ministry employees  decided that they be of assistance to motivate them participate in sport activities by constructing the two pitches adding that about P40 000 was used to construct the two pitches. 

“The project will give youth an opportunity to participate in sport and reduce idle time that usually lead to unhealthy activities such as alcohol indulgence and drug abuse,” he said. 

For his part, the area MP Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware commended the ministry for the gesture of promoting one of the Vision 2016 pillars, of a healthy nation. Ends