Sport facilities at the Wellington Campus are set for a major revamp after the institution secured funding of more than R4 million from the National Lotteries Board.

The funding of R4.5m was awarded to the institution after Tyrone Africa, Sports Coordinator at the campus, submitted a proposal to the Board highlighting the need for an upgrade of the sport facilities.

Although Wellington Campus has a thriving sport culture, with a large number of students holding Boland colours in various sporting codes, facilities are dilapidated and hamper the development of the institution’s sports programme.

The current facilities are also preventing the institution from offering their sport expertise and facilities to the broader community.

However, Africa said sporting activities in Wellington will be boosted with the funding.

“The upgrade of facilities will allow us to expand and deepen our already existent teaching, training and sports programmes to include all communities and schools in the Boland area,” he said.

The proposal submitted identified nine areas for development. Of the nine, funding was awarded for development of two areas. This includes the revamp of the tennis and netball courts and the upgrade of the rugby fields.

Africa said funds will be used to resurface the six tennis and netball courts. Lighting will also be installed at the courts, which will allow students and the community to utilise the courts after-hours.

However, the bulk of the funds will be used for the installation of high mast lighting on the two rugby fields. The current lightning is inadequate and only provides light for one of the fields.

Africa said the lights, which will cost close to R3m, are much needed because students are only available for sport activities after 5pm during weekdays.

“We want to install six high mast lighting poles that can cover the two rugby fields,” said Africa .

He said proper lighting will allow students and the community to utilise the fields optimally.

“We are very excited about this. We want the Wellington campus to become the hub of sport activities in this community,” said Africa .

Wellington Campus Manager, Ben Turner, said the upgrade of the sport facilities will ensure the development of the institution and community sports programmes.

“There is a lot of options open to us now,” he said.

Turner said they are hoping to complete the upgrade by the end of the academic year. He said news of the funding has already spread in the Boland community.

“The campus community and the broader community are very excited,” he said.

The Wellington Campus is planning to submit another proposal to National Lotteries Board for funding for development of several other sports facilities. Facilities identified for an upgrade include the club house, hockey field and the student centre as well as the installation of a synthetic athletic track.

“We’ve got big ideas for the Wellington campus, but we will have to phase them in over time,” said Turner.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Wellington campus is set to become the sports hub of the Boland region thanks to a substantial donation of R4.5 million from the National Lotteries Board.

The campus, which boasts a thriving sports culture, recently used the funds to revamp the surfaces of several tennis and netball courts and also install mast lighting at the rugby field.

The funding was awarded to the institution after Wellington Campus Sports Coordinator Tyrone Africa submitted a proposal to the board highlighting the need for an upgrade of the facilities.

Speaking at the recent official opening of the revamped facilities, Africa says the makeover is a stepping stone for other sport-related projects.

“This is a pioneer project for the institution. We would like to improve sports facilities across the CPUT campuses,” he says.

FUN: The netball and rugby team show off their skills on the resurfaced netball court.

Head of Student Affairs, Malinge Gqeba thanked the board for their investment in CPUT and also commended Africa for putting together the winning proposal.

“The National Lotteries Board made it possible for those playing sport to have access to proper facilities,” he says.

And students are already reaping the benefits of the state-of-the-art facilities.

Deputy Chairperson of the Sports Forum at the campus, Enanda Heasbroek, says with new lighting installed at the netball and tennis courts, which also boast new smooth surfaces, the teams have been able to extend their training hours.

“We are training for much longer periods at night and it is really improving our skills,” she says.

Head of the Rugby Team, Ashley Dreyden says the new mast lighting on the rugby fields means they can now host student league games, which usually take place at night.

“The facilities are top-notch,” says Ashley.

By Candes Keating

Photographs by Clive Galant

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.