Picture: One of the players at South African Primary Schools Athletics Championships/Facebook
By REGINALD KANYANE
23 March 2026- The North West Department of Education secured an impressive third place at the 2026 South African Primary Schools Athletics Championships held at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town from 20 – 21 March 2026. The province maintained its position obtained from the previous year, reaffirming its status as one of the country’s top-performing provinces in school athletics.
Team North West delivered an outstanding performance, collecting a total of 37 medals with 13 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals. A team of 165 learners represented the province at the national event, showcasing exceptional talent and determination across multiple disciplines.
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi said among the standout athletes was Rayen Beets (12) from Samtrek Primary School, who broke the Javelin record with a remarkable throw of 51.79 meters and also secured a first place in the Discus event. Motsumi said a learner from the South African International School in Mafikeng, Larona Gorman (11), stole the spotlight by winning both the 80 meters and 100 meters races.
“Other notable achievements included Lubbe Janco, who claimed first place in the 75 meters hurdles; Pieter Ernst who won the 1500 meters walk race; Kaylene De Wet who secured victory in the girls’ 1200 meters race and Modisane Oneile who took top honours in the boys’ 1200 meters event.
“The province also celebrated a record-breaking performance by the girls’ Relay team, who set a new national record with a time of 51.73 seconds,” she said.
Motsumi congratulated Team North West for their exceptional performance.
“On behalf of the entire Department, I would like to congratulate Team North West for their outstanding performance in the national competitions.
“This achievement demonstrates that our province is a force to be reckoned with, consistently ranking among the top three provinces,” said Motsumi.
The Guardian 