Rhodes University Sport has received a R4.5 million sponsorship from the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) to upgrade its sporting infrastructure and enhance sports on campus and in the Makana district.
Lotto has been in partnership with Rhodes University since 2004, which, according to Roger Adams, the manager of Sports Administration at Rhodes, is largely due to the University’s judicious management of the Lotto sponsorship and generous contribution towards community outreach programmes.
This, according to Roger, means the upgraded sports infrastructure on which the Lotto money is spent is not used only by Rhodes students but also by members of the community who are part of numerous projects Rhode Sports has on the go, most noteably the NEMATO rowing club.
Said Roger, “We at Sports Administration were absolutely delighted at the latest generous donation from the lotto.
“The donation will assist with the efficiency and expansiveness of our sports programme which incorporates Intramural Sport, Community Engagement and High Performance Sport. The sizable grant is a vindication of our approach to apply lotto-sponsored resources to the greatest good of both our student population as well as the Grahamstown community. “
This R4.5 million sponsorship will pay for the resurfacing the Rhodes hockey Astroturf as a major project and thereafter be used to cover the costs of landing mats, scoreboards, a cricket bowling machine, a tennis ball machine, rowing boats, rescue boats, volleyball posts and nets, hurdles, development and training and campus leagues.
Sport at Rhodes has benefitted handsomely from lotto funding over the last few years. These funds make a significant impact on the University’s capacity not only in terms of infrastructure upgrading, but also with the replacement of capital equipment, outreach and intramural sport.
Sports at Rhodes constitutes an integral part of student development which is less focused on high performance, but more on the wellness and holistic development of students and hence accent is placed in encouraging the greatest number of participation.
Furthermore, given that the University motto is “where leaders learn”, Sports Administration is conscious of the need for sports to play a role in the development of future leaders by making it possible for students to experience an active, purposeful, bountiful and varied life beyond the lecture room.
Given that the focus of sport at Rhodes is also on inculcate a commitment to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle, participation by many at all levels are supported as far as possible is imperative .
Sports Administration’s duty is to make sure there is ample opportunity for the non-serious student to get involved in informal “pick-up” games either on our sports fields or around their residences, while those with a more serious inclination can partake in our structured intra-mural programmes.
At the same time, there is equally an opportunity for others to play for our highly competitive club teams in intra-provincial leagues and national university tournaments with the possibility of gaining honours for provincial and national sides.
Pic: National Lotto Trust Distribution Fund, Chairperson, Mr Gideon Sam.