The second leg of the much anticipated Varsity Athletics event makes its way to the scenic Stellenbosch on Thursday, 7 April 2016. This competition has become a platform that every student-athlete has ever dreamt of having in South Africa; the TV time, the fireworks, the music, the clothing, the MC, the media frenzy. Here’s a look at some interesting facts about the sport of athletics in general as well as the Varsity Athletics competition.
1) The athletes’ experience is next level
From the prestige of the competition’s format to the TV and media exposure, Varsity Athletics aims to provide student athletes with a taste of the professionalism and an idea of what a career in athletics would be like. All the students are flown in from across the country and are well taken care off, staying in hotels, provided with kit and bussed to and from the stadiums. It’s something to look forward to as an athlete in South Africa, and amateur athletes are equipped for professional careers earlier on.
2) It’s all live on your TV
Varsity Athletics’ live broadcasting on SuperSport has been some of the best media coverage given to the sport in recent years. “Catch me on SuperSport at 18:00”, “I’ll be on your screens doing the 100m” and “It’s time to showcase my talents to the world” is what you’ll see across all social media in the build-up to the meetings. It’s fantastic exposure for South Africa’s young athletes and also means that if supporters can’t attend the live action, they can catch it all from the comfort of the sofa!
3) International standards are implemented
This year the competition has adopted the Top 15 and Top 10 formats for the two divisions. Only the top 10 or top 15 athletes’ results from each university will be used and all points awarded will be in the official IAAF format. This sets a standard of prestige to the competition and reinforces the professional competitive environment for the athletes.
4) Everyone is dressed up for the showdown
All the officials are dressed beautifully, in traditional stripes and colours. The MC is at his/her best, suited up and then the stadium is packed with scholars, students and parents that come out to support their teams, in their university colours.
If athletes are fortunate enough, they’ll get to don a piece of Varsity Athletics silverware around their necks too.
5) Some of the world’s best athletes take part
Although the competition aims to lay a platform for athletes to launch professional athletics careers, there are a number of South Africa’s top athletes taking part. From Caster Semenya to last year’s Varsity Athletics star Wayde van Niekerk. This year has seen the rise of Africa’s fastest man Akani Simbine. While the pros continue to grow, their participation pushes the amateur athletes to the limits, as they compete against some of the world’s best.
The second Varsity Athletics meeting takes place on 7 April at Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch. Catch it live on SuperSport 5 and SuperSport Select from 17:20.
By Reginald Hufkie
