Pretoria’s gymnastics fans can look forward to championship action
While the presentation of the national gymnastics championships this year will be spread across four provinces according to four different disciplines, lovers of this sport in Pretoria will have the opportunity to see the country's best Artistic gymnasts in action at the Gymnastics SA National Training Centre in Centurion from this week.
Gymnastics South Africa’s national championships, previously known as Gym Games, is set to return in with a new format.
The governing body for gymnastics has decided to host the national championships at four different centres across the country between 2 and 12 October this year.
It will be divided according to the different disciplines and the choice of venue for the Artistic Gymnastics discipline (men’s and women’s division), as well as the Acrobatic Gymnastics discipline, fell on Gymnastics South Africa’s new headquarters in Centurion.
Over 3 000 gymnasts in all disciplines and all age groups will be in action during these four events.
Adele Heine, President of Gymnastics South Africa, explained the new format.
“We are setting a new course as we take our National Championships to all four corners of South Africa. Not only is this a cost-effective move, but more importantly we’re giving more provinces the opportunity to host our biggest competition of the year. What makes this year’s decentralised format even more special is that each host province will present its most prominent discipline. For example, Rhythmic Gymnastics’ biggest support base is in KwaZulu-Natal, while Rope Skipping has a big following in the North West Province. Eastern Cape will host Trampoline and Tumbling. Gauteng will play host to Artistic Gymnastics, Parkour and Acrobatics,” Heine elaborated.
She added that their aim this year is to make gymnastics more inclusive, and this new decentralised approach supports their efforts to take gymnastics to the entire country.
Photo: Gymnastics South Africa
The National Championships will continue to serve as the final event in the domestic season, where provincial selections lead to national-level competition. It is also a key platform for talent identification and development, and selection in various disciplines to the Region 5 gymnastics event taking place in Namibia in December.
The Gymnastics SA National Training Center in Centurion will therefore host the following divisions:
– Men’s Artistic Gymnastics: 2 – 6 October
– Women’s Artistic Gymnastics: 6 – 9 October
– Parkour: 3 – 6 October and
– Acrobatic Gymnastics: 10 – 12 October
The North West Province, Mmabane Centre in Mahikeng will host the Aerobic Gymnastics (3 – 6 October) and the Rope Skipping section (3 – 6 October).
Rhythmic Gymnastics (4 – 9 October) will be presented at the Westville Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal.
The Trampoline Gymnastics championship will take place from 7 to 10 October at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha’s Indoor Centre.
Khumbulani Konco, CEO of Gymnastics South Africa, added that this repositioning gives them an opportunity to reframe the narrative around the event and elevate its importance for gymnasts, coaches, and the broader public.
For all the full programmes and event updates visit https://gymnasticssa.co.za/ or follow @GymnasticsSA on social media.
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