By REGINALD KANYANE
3 February 2025- A 220-member team has been selected to represent the North West at the national golden games to be held in Rustenburg in February 2025. This comes after the participants from the province’s four districts, composed of the elderly aged 60 and above, converged at Mmabatho Stadium in Mahikeng on 30 January 2025.
These older persons competed fiercely in various sporting codes, which include brisk walk, soccer, athletics, ring the ball, dress up, jukskei, rugby ball throw and singing. According to the research, the inherent paradox of sport participation has the potential to provide considerable positive growth.
In addressing the participants at the games, the North West MEC for Social Development, Sussana Dantjie, called on the winners at the provincial golden games to train regularly to enhance their fitness for the national golden games. Dantjie said the annual golden games, which are held in collaboration with the provincial departments of health, arts, culture, sport and recreation are meant to enhance the quality of life, improve the health of older persons and to embrace active ageing.
“For you to win in various sporting codes, you must form a formidable team solely because you are representing the province. Form a strong team composed of participants who perform well.
“We have a mandate to ensure that our senior citizens participate and share in active ageing initiatives and programmes of government. We are further committed to ensuring that our older persons remain physically and mentally active through the active ageing programme,” she said.
Dantjie further said this, in turn, will ensure their good health and longevity. She added that young people should emulate the elderly so that they should live a healthy lifestyle, free from obesity and other opportunistic diseases.
“We are confident that the North West team will represent the province well in all the sporting codes and bring medals home at the national golden games.
“Remember, it is evident that sport can help older persons to fight, monitor, adapt to avoid and accept the aging process,” said Dantjie.
The Guardian 