Concerns over the future of athletics in KwaZulu-Natal due to deteriorating stadiums

THE KWAZULU-NATAL ATHLETICS (KZNA) body is sounding the alarm over the future of athletics in the province, revealing that several stadiums that should be at the forefront of athletics development are not licensed to do so because of their poor condition.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

Among the stadiums is the Kings Park Athletics track, Chatsworth Stadium in Durban, the Msunduzi stadium, Ulundi stadium, and Richards Bay stadium. The organisation expressed concern that athletics is being treated as “the poor cousin” of other sporting codes and is being neglected.

This issue surfaced amid concerns regarding the maintenance of the stadiums in the province. A video emerged recently showing “poor maintenance” of the Msunduzi Municipality’s Harry Gwala football stadium.

A source in athletics bemoaned the state of the Kings Park athletics stadium, stating, “If you haven't visited the Kings Park athletics stadium (Durban) recently, please do so for all our sakes. You will find the same level of deterioration (as Harry Gwala) and apathy towards maintenance.

“Most toilets and the change rooms are kept closed so they don't have to be cleaned. The athletics track is, of course, no longer approved by Athletics South Africa (ASA), so no national championships are allocated to Kings Park; said the source.

Steve Mkasi, KZNA president, said the situation was much worse, mentioning many stadiums across the province used for athletics.

He noted that with Kings Park, they have been battling for the last six years to have the problems addressed.