Uplands College to benefit from improved sports facilities

Japie van Niekerk, a well-known White River resident and philanthropist, has long advocated the benefits of playing sport as a means of developing the youth of South Africa and continues to invest in this passion.

“Being a keen sportsman myself as well as a parent, I understand the vital role that sport can play in a child’s development and realise the importance of adequate sporting facilities which permit a child’s talents to be cultivated properly,” said the CEO of New Africa Developments, a property
development company.

Having previously assisted with a multitude of sports sponsorships and donations, including investing in the Nelspruit-based, professional NAD mountain bike team, Van Niekerk has turned his attention to Uplands College where his son is a grade 4 scholar. “After much deliberation, I eventually chose hockey as the sport at Uplands College which would benefit most from improved facilities,” said Van Niekerk, who added: “Hockey is one of the few sports where boys and girls of all ages can benefit equally from an investment of this nature.” Having previously assisted with the provision of a specialised irrigation system for the College’s new AstroTurf hockey fields, this time Van Niekerk is providing state-of-the-art floodlighting that will permit training and matches to be played after dark, thereby maximizing the large investment in the AstroTurf fields.

“The floodlights will make a big difference by allowing us to offer a complete coaching programme, including the ability to upskill more children and to attract more of them to play hockey and to participate in school sport in general,” commented Alex Gitlin, the deputy head of Uplands College and passionate hockey enthusiast. Van Niekerk hopes to further raise the profile of hockey in Mpumalanga, with his company’s contribution of R2-million towards the upliftment of this sport at Uplands College, and is hopeful that this investment will ultimately see some of the beneficiaries progressing to represent South Africa at international level.

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