Fifty-eight swimmers from the Eastern Cape arrived in Bloemfontein to represent the province at the National Schools Swimming Championships, proudly carrying the hopes and pride of their province.
Selected through stellar performances at the Provincial Trials in Gqeberha earlier this year, the team qualified based on competitive times across all strokes—freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and relays. This championship featured swimmers aged 12 to 19, and also embraces para-swimming athletes, with classifications from S1 to S15.
Hosted jointly by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) and the Department of Basic Education, the School Sport programme is a vital part of sport development in the Eastern Cape. Swimming, as one of the province’s priority codes, reflects the success of this programme in action.