This afternoon Desmond Coetzee a genuine Aberdonion and previous Mayor of Aberdeen and a stalwart supporter of the community, offered in depth information about sport in this area. Desmond wears many hats. He is the Chairperson of the Camdeboo Sub-Structure of the ANC, Convener of the sport structure of Ward 1 (Aberdeen), and a previous executive member of the Eastern Province Rugby Union, a Chairperson of Karoo Sub-Union Rugby he is also presently head coach and executive member of the Aberdeen Rugby Club and a teacher and sports master of the Kamdebo Primary School.He is a mine of information about all sports in Aberdeen and is very much aware of the triumphs and the desperate needs of sports here in Aberdeen, Lotusville and Thembalesizwe.
Despite the lack of facilities, lack of funds for transport, sport equipment and sport clothing, Aberdeen has produced one of the first Springbok woman rugby players Saloma Booysen. She played in the World Cup held in Canada in 2005, showing the talent and standard of woman’s rugby in Aberdeen.
The Aberdeen men’s rugby has produced players who have played for Eastern Province Country and District’s Teams. The senior rugby team is presently the 2008 rugby champions of the Karoo Senior Rugby Union. They were runners up in 2007 and the 2005 champions.
The Everton Soccer Club players of Aberdeen play league outside the Camdeboo area in the Eastern Province and are a very active and strong team with regard to talent and enthusiasm. Here again, due to financial constraints their activities are limited. In fact there are five soccer teams in Aberdeen who play league against each other as traveling costs are prohibitive.
There are tennis courts and a swimming pool, but these have not been utilized for some time and need contracts taken out with the municipality who could assist financially the clubs formed to organize these sporting activities so that these facilities can be made available to all.
There is a golf course which is partially maintained by both the local golf players and the municipality, again golf equipment is costly. The squash court is evident on the same property as the golf course, but as yet it is not used by the local youth.
Mini athletics is another sport enjoyed by the youth of Aberdeen and a competition is being held between the Aberdeen schools, Aberdeen Primary, Kamdebo Primary, Luxolo Primary and the Graaff-Reinet schools Volkslaer and Narsing Street Primary on the 29th October 2008 at the show grounds in Aberdeen.It must be recognized that all sporting structures should be centralized under the sporting structure of the Aberdeen Ward Committee in Aberdeen.
Article By: Joan Tinker