Durban — The R48 million Dondotha sports complex was unveiled in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, an investment in sporting and recreational infrastructure.
The complex comprises a main football field complete with a grandstand with change rooms, ablution and hospitality facilities as well as a grass athletic field, two additional training fields, cricket nets and an outdoor gym. There are also four combination courts that accommodate different sporting codes including basketball, netball, tennis, 5-aside soccer and volleyball.
Local soccer player, Sphephelo Zwane,19, said that he attended the handover and was impressed with the condition of the grounds. Zwane, who has been playing since he was 15 at his school Sizakahle High, said that he aspires to play professional soccer internationally, especially for Real Madrid in Spain.
“I am happy that we have a big place to have our matches. I also wish that this ground will host big teams as well so that many sportsmen and sports fans will see professional players in their neighbourhood. I would also like to play football for South Africa” he said.
“I want to use the skills that I will learn overseas for the improvement of my national team and other young players,” he said.
KZN MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba said it heralds a new era in sporting and recreational infrastructure.
Mahlaba said the government was keen on developing sport. This includes the provision of high-quality sports facilities in previously disadvantaged areas.
Mahlaba said that as a collective in the fields of sports, arts, and culture, the mission is to uplift the spirits of our nation’s mood through sport and the arts.
“Sport has the remarkable power to unite people from all walks of life. This is one such of the many facilities that have been constructed in rural areas to give local youth an opportunity to participate in sport on and to level the playing field,” he said.
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Daily News