If the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) did not come to the rescue of Golden Lions Gymnastics in Newlands, the club would have missed out taking part in the international 2013 Gym for Life Challenge in Cape Town at the weekend.
Golden Lions Gymnastics won a gold medal at the international event in which more than 1 500 gymnasts took part and was staged in the Cape Town International Convention Centre. By winning gold, Golden Lions Gymnastics qualified for the finals on Saturday night.
“There is only one overall winner and an Austrian club won the event, but I am so proud of my gymnasts. They received huge applause from the spectaors, gymnasts and coaches from all over the world,” coach Natalia Prokopchik said.
She says that the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) mentioned the club in their report and calling them “Freshness Golden Lions”.
Marilyn Glade, one of the parents said that it was a huge effort to get 21 gymnasts to Cape Town, accommodate them, feed them and pay for petrol and toll gates. The gymnasts also left Cape Town at midnight after the event and drove home in order to save money.”
Fortunately, Mr Tubby Reddy, CEO of SASCOC made the organisation’s two mini buses available and the parents hired two drivers for the trip,” she said
The gymnasts who come from Florida, Newlands, Westbury and Claremont were, for an as yet unknown reason, excluded from “Team Gauteng” whose gymnasts all received some form of financial aid and the club’s owner, Wessel Oosthuizen, has asked Central Gauteng Gymnastics Association and the SA Gymnastics Federation for clarity.
“At least five of our gymnasts will take part in next year’s World Age Group Games in France and as soon as we have paid our Cape Town debt, we shall start fundraising for the 2014 event,” Marilyn Glade said.