For them, "coming from a rural area, the children were so excited to be in the city. For some, this was their first time here" said Bakamela Rai, a teacher from Mabela Intermediate School.
This annual sporting event begins with over 22,000 learners across South Africa, who are whittled down to 2,000 entrants who competed in a three day long national tournament.
This tournament has grown and become a rewarding opportunity for all those involved. Now in its tenth year, the event was attended by dignitaries, sport celebrities, former-Miss South Africa, Bokang Montsane and Transnet executives all in full support of South Africa's rising sports stars at the Boksburg Stadium.
While South Africa is rich in sporting talent, much of its potential talent sits undiscovered and remains to be identified, nurtured and developed into the heroes of tomorrow. But Transnet has made an effort to turn this around using the tournament as a starting ground for many of these youths.
Studies have shown the positive impact of team sports on the development of young people. Overall, they do better academically, and are more likely to matriculate, get a tertiary education or learn a trade and find jobs. Children who participate in these group activities attend more school, get into less trouble and are closer to their community.
With this in mind, the Transnet Foundation felt obliged to go the extra mile and use their expertise and resources for the social benefit of all South Africans. The programme was launched in 2002, specifically targeting the more rural and isolated areas, by providing these youths with opportunities and the chance to be all they can be.
To help learners and their caregivers focus on competing and enjoying their time, the Transnet Foundation provided transportation and accommodation for all the participants - 20 schools per province in all seven of our provinces - for the duration of the event.
The festivities kicked off on Monday with the opening ceremony featuring inspiring speakers and entertainment, and finished with a spectacular fireworks display. Over the following two days, there were tournaments for netball, football, athletics and chess. These games were played by girls and boys between the ages of 13 and 19, all of them coached by trained staff.
Bakamela Rai, a mathematics teacher from QwaQwa, has been involved with the Transnet Rural and Farm Schools Programme since it started, having been trained as a coach. Bakamela reports that "the children have themselves noticed an improvement in their focusing abilities, they've mentioned that they're able to concentrate better and have improved reasoning capacity" - these are benefits from playing chess.
The programme has seen a number of its learners win sporting scholarships and selection for national sports teams and regional soccer programmes.
Brian Molefe, Transnet's group chief executer officer, cited a passage from an unknown source in his address at the opening ceremony in Boksburg. He quoted, "you are all champions in your own way. This doesn't mean you have to be number one. Just do your best. Consider for a moment what we achieve from sport - the sheer fun of competing, the building of a healthy and alert mind and body, stamina, courage, perseverance, dedication, commitment, selflessness, and most importantly, the will to excel."
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