A sports dialogue geared at finding solutions to the lack of active female sports participation took centre stage at Wits University

A sports dialogue geared at finding solutions to the lack of active female sports participation took centre stage as Wits welcomed close to 100 participants for the Central Gauteng Women in Sport dialogue.

BRAAMFONTEIN – In an effort to promote a non-sexist sporting community, the Wits Conference Centre in Braamfontein was the scene for a marauding Central Gauteng Women in Sport mini dialogue on 23 June.

The engagements served to highlight the importance of female participation in sport, while seeking to ensure that an equilibrium is struck with their male counterparts.

Headlining the event was media specialist Kass Naidoo, who discussed vital leadership points. Naidoo said the journey through life can be long and arduous as a result of a number of personal barriers.

“Individual transformation is a requirement in order for personal barriers to be overcome,” she said. “Good leaders don’t just rush up the hill, they also know when to take a step back, re-evaluate, do some introspection and redirect if need be.”

Naidoo, who, at the age of 27 became the first female television cricket commentator in South Africa, emphasized that aspiring and active female athletes ought to be comfortable with discomfort. “You need to tackle discomfort by being comfortable with it. I’m not here to tell you what your barriers are, but rather to tell you that you should ‘smash’ them.”

Other speakers included Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation representatives Mpumi Yingwane and Nonhlanhla Maboa, Wits Basketball player Rudo Kaseke and eNCA Journalist and para-athlete Palesa Manaleng.

Yingwane spoke about the importance of actively engaging with other women across different spheres of the sporting world, adding that a like-minded approach is pivotal towards leveraging active and successful female sports participation.

Meanwhile, Kaseke highlighted barriers that hinder active female sporting participation. “There should be equal incentives at various levels, equal media coverage, better sport education and exposure in more culturally driven areas,” she said, offering suggestions on the issue.

In closing, Maboa said, “As women, we need to stop pulling each other down and pull each other up. As leaders, we must have a vision. Sport [offers a range of opportunities] and can be turned into a business. Whether it’s a sport academy or running a magazine.”

 

This piece by Tshepiso Mametela was first published by the University of Witwatersrand, and is republished here with permission.

 

Photo 1 caption: Kass Naidoo speaks to delegates of the Central Gauteng Women in Sport mini dialogue, hosted by the Wits Conference Centre in Braamfontein on 23 June.