MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The clock is systematically ticking off the minutes to the ever popular annual Sports Festival that this year will take place from Friday, 22 September and will culminate with a big bash to celebrate Mossel Bay's Kwêla Town of the Year Status on Saturday, 7 October.
This year the Sports Festival will again boast several highlights, such as the PetroSA Marathon that again will attract athletes from far and wide to compete on Saturday, 23 September. The event starts at the Santos Caravan Park and will again entice the not so very fit to join in the fun run (07:30), the 10 km (07:15) or the half marathon (07:15). The starting gun for the marathon over 42.2km will be fired at 07:00.
Staying with athletics, the Madibaz bestMed Schools Top 10 Athletics hosted by Point High School at the Van Riebeeck Stadium on Saturday, 30 September will certainly provide spectators with lots to marvel at.
Championships
Several sporting codes will be hosting championships at this year's Sports Festival. The Mossel Bay National Championships Rubber Duck Racing event always offers spectators fun and excitement. This year Dias Beach is again the place to be to share in the adrenalin as the rubber ducks race through the crashing waves. Do not miss the spectacle on either Friday, 22 September, or Saturday, 24 September from 08:30 onwards.
The SA Coastal weightlifting championships kick off at 08:00 on Friday, 22 September at Eden Fitness at 5 Lofty Nel Street in Voorbaai.
On Monday the women will battle it out in the 56th Women's 2017 Inter Provincial Golf Tournament at the Mossel Bay golf course. It starts bright and early at 07:30 and play will probably last the entire day. This event finishes on Thursday, 28 September.
Offshore, the Dart 18 Catamaran WP Championships and sailing festival starts at 10:00 on Saturday, 7 October and will last the weekend. A good place to view this event is from the lawns at Santos Beach or the Mossel Bay Yacht and Boat Club.
Lesser known sports
The Sports Festival is also known for promoting several lesser-known sports, and this year again the public is invited to visit the competitions and events hosted by the Dominoes Club at the D'Almeida Community Hall on Sunday, 1 October, from 10:00.
Equally entertaining will be the Golden Games Sport for the Elderly, taking place on 5 October from 09:00 at the Van Riebeeck Stadium. Also worth the effort will be the Kenani Indoor Sport for Disabled (Wednesday, 4 October and Thursday, 5 October from 07:00).
The less agile but very brainy card players will compete in Canasta on Wednesday, 27 September at the De Dekke Restaurant. The Duplicate Bridge competition takes place on Friday, 6 October in the Caravelle Room of the Garden Route Casino.
The public's participation is as always encouraged as the purpose of the festival is to promote a healthier lifestyle. Therefore, participation in the Moss March fun walk on Saturday, 7 October is recommended. It starts at the Santos Festival Arena. Participants will be on the right spot to share in the fun of the Kwêla Town of the Year Makietie that will be hosted by kykNet at the Santos Festival and starts with the prize giving of the Moss March at 10:00.
Several more sports, such as darts, boxing, lifesaving, football, tennis, cricket, bowls and chess form part of the annual Sports Festival. A complete festival programme will be published in the Mossel Bay Advertiser in due course.
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