Green Point a place for sporting excellence

Mayoral Committee Members, Councillors, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning, goeie more, molweni.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the launch of the upgraded Green Point Track.

We are working towards building an inclusive city.

That means, creating the kind of spaces where everyone can come together as part of a united metro.

I see the entire span of Green Point’s development since the 2010 FIFA World Cup as such a project.

And the Green Point Multi-Purpose Facility and A-Track, including the rugby and cricket fields, is part of that development, along with the Green Point Urban Park and the stadium.

The first phase of work around the Green Point area happened before the World Cup, with the second phase happening after 2010.

The Green Point Athletics A-Track was part of the second phase.

This whole area was redesigned so as to bring people together to enjoy common spaces.

Part of the redesign includes the new Athletics Stadium, which will be officially opened later this year.

Today, part of the A-track, the athletics track and stadium retain a part of the old stands and history of the track.

But in as much as they contain they best elements of the past, they are designed with the future in mind.

As such, all facilities are accessible for people with disabilities.

The new building as part of the launch today is a two-storey structure comprising four change rooms, a storage room for equipment and a club house on the upper level.

They maintain the same architectural design of the famous Urban Park.

And later this year, the A-track will be officially joined by the athletics track.

When launched, the seating capacity will accommodate a maximum of 7000 people.

And when launched, the new athletics track will eventually become the centre of athletic activities in the province.

Its International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF)-level facilities will serve the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Western Province Athletics and a range of other sporting clubs.

Not only will these facilities be able to host both national and international level athletics events, the entire facility will be the site of activities like rugby and cricket, which we are launching today.

Indeed, more than just a place for sporting excellence, this facility will be a place where our communities can come together.

In conclusion, for me, that is the essence of the Cape Town difference.

We have at our disposal world-class facilities that speak to our position as a global events destination.

We are now, more than ever before, one of the most sought after places for hosting major events in the region.

But more than that, and what makes us different, is that the sites of great events are also the sites of connection for our communities.

As such, the Green Point A-Track and multi-purpose facility, and the whole Green Point development, is a place where all of the residents of Cape Town can come together and enjoy everything that our great city has to offer.

Thank you, baie dankie, enkosi.