Five thousand schoolchildren throughout South Africa will participate in the third annual Oxygen Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge, in association with Sporting Chance and Virgin Active. The event kicks off in Cape Town on 19 September and participants will keep a ball in motion for an uninterrupted 50 hours, the aim being to highlight the importance of physical activity in children’s lives.
Brad Bing of Sporting Chance, the youth sports development agency that conceived and co-ordinates the Challenge, said sports will include cricket, tennis, hockey (indoor and outdoor), table tennis, badminton, netball, basketball, soccer (indoor and outdoor), handball, squash and touch rugby. The event was born as a direct response to the results of the Health of the Nation research findings* on the physical fitness levels of South African children.
The study of 10 500 schoolchildren from a broad spectrum of backgrounds across the country, revealed trends of obesity similar to those in developed countries more than ten years ago. The need for intervention strategies to combat an increasingly sedentary lifestyle was further highlighted by the fact that 14% of boys and 18% of girls were overweight, and that more than 3% of boys and nearly 5% of girls were obese.
The findings also indicated that children develop habits for life by the age of 12, which means that inactive children will most likely not develop an active and healthy lifestyle as adults.
“It was obvious that South Africa faced a serious task in getting the nation to keep active and participate in physical activity to create a healthy lifestyle,” says Bing. Primary objectives, in the light of the study and a decreased emphasis on physical education in schools, are to show the importance and positive effects of physical activity and sport, and to encourage as many children as possible to participate.
“Sporting Chance’s approach is twofold,” says Bing, “and includes sport-coaching and holiday clinics at schools in and around Cape Town, together with the organisation of national youth sport events, such as the Oxygen 50-Hour Sports Challenge project. As thousands of children, primarily from disadvantaged communities across the country are involved, we are largely reliant upon the funding and support of corporate South Africa. The recognition by Oxygen Medical Scheme and Virgin Active, of the importance of events such as this, is a key factor in ensuring a healthy lifestyle is within the reach of all our country’s youth. ”
For the third year running, Oxygen Medical Scheme from Old Mutual is the main sponsor of this event, and commenting on their continued sponsorship, Oxygen’s chief executive and principal officer James van Vught says: “Sports and exercise play a positive role in a child’s life and if participation is made possible from a young age, they will reap the benefits in later years, of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle, with all the opportunities that will present. It’s quite simply the best investment we can make in our nation’s health.”
Kim Webster CSR Manager for co-sponsor Virgin Active adds, “Virgin Active believes that creating an environment that makes it easier to adopt a healthy lifestyle is the ideal way to introduce children to wellness. We therefore believe that the Health of the Nation event offers children the opportunity to learn about staying healthy the fun way through the games they play,”
Many accomplished sportsmen have benefited from Brad Bing as a coach and the Sporting Chance coaching programmes and events. These include Protea cricketers, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis; former rugby Springbok, Neil de Kock; and current Lions lock, Anton van Zyl as well as Beijing Olympians, Andrew Cronje and Austin Smith. However, creating international sporting stars is not Sporting Chance’s primary aim and all its projects include a life-skills education component, focusing on nutrition, personal goal setting and the dangers of substance abuse, delivered to the youngsters in a fun and easy-to-understand manner.
“Team sports are a great way of teaching children essential life skills that can be applied throughout their lives. Sport shows us the beauty of friendship, camaraderie and team spirit and it helps us to deal with the hardships of failure, frustration and disappointment,” says Bing.
The Cape Town leg of the Oxygen Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge, will take place at the Western Province Cricket Club in Newlands from Friday 19 until Sunday 21 September, and is endorsed by the national Department of Health, the Western Cape Department of Education; and Sport and Cultural Affairs, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa and the City of Cape Town.
Members of the public are encouraged to come and watch the youngsters’ efforts. Schools or individuals wishing to participate in the Oxygen Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge can contact Natalie at Sporting Chance on (021) 683 7299. Details also available at www.sportingchance.co.za.
The event is also planned for Johannesburg between Friday 17 and Sunday 19 October at the Southern Suburbs Sports Complex in Rosetenville.