KZN Indigenous Games get underway in Newcastle

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Indigenous Games will take place in Newcastle in northern KZN this weekend. The Games - organised by the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with KZN Indigenous Games Council - will be played at Newcastle’s Arbor Park, on Friday and Saturday, 10-11 August.

The exciting event features teams representing the Province’s 11 Districts that will compete in different indigenous games, including induku (stick fighting), incuva, umlabalaba, dibeke, drie-stokkies, khokho, jukskei, ingqathu (rope skipping) and amagende (stones).

The indigenous games were been played by different indigenous communities over many years. They have been preserved by government as part of heritage preservation and social cohesion, as well as to encourage communities to live active and healthy lifestyles.

KwaZulu-Natal is the leading province in preserving Indigenous Games and has dominated the national championships over the past years with back to back wins.

The Games will be used to select a team to represent the Province at the national tournament scheduled for September.

MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, welcomed the hosting of the Provincial Games.

“The indigenous games are very important in achieving the Department of Sport and Recreation’s vision of enabling an active and winning province. We are excited to host the 2018 edition of these games as they play a big role in our efforts to achieve social cohesion by bringing together young and old from different districts, race and colour,” said MEC Sithole-Moloi.

“We invite communities around the Amajuba District and surroundings to come to Arbor Park to give support our young athletes who will be displaying their talent.”