On the netball courts

RELATED LINKS: Kickboxing glory at Diepsloot Gym A HUMBLE gym in the poverty-stricken township of Diepsloot is home to some of South Africa's up-and-coming kickboxing stars. Read more Joburg's boxing giant THERE has never been a boxing champ as small as South African boxing giant Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala. At just 4ft 10in, or 147cm, he is not much taller than the average 3ft 6in, or 107cm tall, Lord of the Rings hobbits. Read more The mayor's delegates visit the people of Diepsloot THE wailing sirens of escort vehicles from the traffic department break the stillness of the evening as the mayoral delegation descends on Diepsloot, a sprawling, densely populated informal settlement just outside Midrand. Read more

Bodybuilders pumped up the crowd

Kickboxing skills from Michael Kopa and Siboniso Twala

Youngsters choose sport over crime ON A hot Friday afternoon, hundreds of youngsters from the sprawling settlement of Diepsloot vowed to choose sport over a life of crime. October 24, 2005 By Lucky Sindane HUNDREDS of youngsters from Diepsloot have vowed to choose sport over crime, where their talent may be nurtured. This promise was made at a sport against crime event at the Diepsloot Sport Precinct on Friday, 21 October. It was hosted by the City's sport and recreation department in conjunction with the provincial departments of community safety and sport and recreation, Diepsloot Community Forum and the South African Police Service. Jammer skaters warm up It was a very hot Friday afternoon, but that did not deter the determined young folk, who arrived in their hundreds, wearing white caps and colourful outfits, ready to compete on the field of play. There were soccer matches, netball, indigenous games, korfball, basketball, handball, volleyball and jammer skaters, as well as boxing, kickboxing and body-building demonstrations. "We are trying to develop the youth through sport," said Godfrey Kgadikgale, the assistant director of citizen safety in the provincial department of community safety. "We are encouraging the youth not to engage themselves in criminal activities but to play sports." Body builders from the Diepsloot gymnasium stole the show when they flexed their huge muscles, oiled to a shine; they had the crowds screaming for more. "I love body building because it keeps me away from the streets and makes me strong," said Shaka Dlamini. Then there were the kickboxers, who got the spectators almost believing they were watching a karate movie. They challenged one another to produce some breathtaking kicks with names like mawashi geri and kakatu geri. "The intention of this event is for the youth to work together with relevant authorities to fight crime," said Lulamile Bikitsha, the operations manager of sport and recreation in region one and two. It was the second year that the sport against crime event was held; the first was in Ivory Park in 2004. "Through sports people communicate with each other and it keeps people away from the streets," Kgadikgale concluded. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za