To mark the beginning of sportsmanship across the North Coast, the Seatides Ratepayers and Civic Association in conjunction with the Youth of Seatides, held the inaugural Seatides Youth Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, 23 July, which they hope will become an annual event for years to come.
Arlene Cairncross, a member of the Seasides Ratepayers Association, said the six competing teams consisted of both males and females from across Tongaat. The Belverdere Ballers took the top spot with Seatides Titans coming in second and Belverdere Females in third.
Cairncross said Mohamed Aktar, the captain of Seatides Titans and a Seatides youth leader, spearheaded the tournament. “We are so lucky to have stalwart volleyball coaches residing in Seatides. We were also greatly assisted by former national coach, Jayson Govender. Having our youth and elders work together in bringing sports back into our communities is an important part of social engagements,” said Cairncross.
The players were hyped and enthusiastic about the matches as the tournament also took notice of the Best Setter, Best Attacker, Best Defensive Player and Best Serves. The participants and spectators were also excited about having the community of Seatides host the tournament.
“We received several calls from players saying they are ready for the next tournament in Seatides. Sports in communities is pivotal in directing the energy of our youth towards positive expression of their energy. In a space and time when social ills such as drug and alcohol abuse are at an all time high, communities must focus on positive engagements with our youth in an effort to foster disciplined lifestyle habits. No better place to start than with sports. If our communities could focus more engagements aimed at younger age groups, the benefit to our communities overall would be awe-inspiring. Our communities across Tongaat are encouraged to host more sporting activities. Events of this nature are low in cost but there is still a cost to be incurred. We call on any community members who would like to be involved by donating their time, money or skill in hosting more social sporting activities,” said Cairncross.
One of the player, Jenisha Govender said: “It was a very vibrant atmosphere with friendly faces and a hands-on community that got the ball rolling from start to finish. The tournament was just a tip of the iceberg and I can’t wait to see what Seatides has in store for the rest of the year.”
Another player, Bernie Cairncross, said: “The Seatides Tournament was an event of exceptionally high quality. Hats off to the organisers, volunteers, players, supporters and community. Every contribution and efforts made resulted in a successful event.”
For more information please contact Arlene Cairncross on 083 379 3034.
