Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Waning interest in athletics among qualified Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) coaches has prompted the body to embark on a drive to lure the affected mentors back to its structure.

CGA is also trying hard to woo more athletics coaches from schools into their programme.

This is part of CGA's bid to develop the sport at learning institutions in the region.

It starts with a coaches' briefing session at the Braamfontein Recreational Centre in Johannesburg tomorrow from 9am. The session is expected to attract more than 300 coaches.

"The main purpose of the session is to revive the love of the sport among the affected coaches using qualified coaches," Mandla Radebe, CGA's general manager, said yesterday.

"We will try to hear the reasons that led our coaches to lose interest in athletics. We have trained a number of coaches for level one and two certificates in the past but they have since fallen through the cracks. It is our aim to resuscitate their interest in the sport.

"The session is targeting everybody who calls himself or herself an athletics coach. We will make an audit on the level of their qualifications and we will then organise coaching courses in line with their qualifications at a later date.

"It has been our commitment to develop more qualified coaches to assist our athletes to become household names and also become Olympians," he said.

Meanwhile, the yearly CGA Pick 'n Pay Junior Series, which was scheduled for Sunday in Mapetla, has been postponed until September 28 at the same venue.