Cape Town: The refurbishment of the Blue Downs and Wesfleur Athletics Stadiums of the City of Cape Town is about more than aesthetics. It also resulted in Class Two Certification by World Athletics. This marked an important milestone in the City’s ongoing investment in athletics infrastructure and community sport development.
The Recreation and Parks Department of the City of Cape Town has invested R61 million on refurbishments of the Blue Downs and Wesfleur(Atlantis) athletics tracks. The facilities reopened for public use earlier this year.
Recreation and Parks Department, through an appointed contractor, submitted the certification application to World Athletics on behalf of the City. The organisation is the international governing body for World Athletics and is responsible for certification of facilities and standardisation of rules and regulations.
The Class Two Certification for Wesfleur is valid until November 2030 and for Blue Downs until November 2031. Refurbishments at the stadiums included:
- repairs to the tartan tracks
- repairs to the long, triple and pole vault lanes, take-off boards and runways
- repair and installation of the hammer throw and discus cage arenas and the steeple chase areas
The athletics refurbishments form part of a citywide strategic programme guided by the 2021 Athletics Study. The programme aims to upgrade six Regional Recreational Hubs and develop a new athletics facility in Westridge, Mitchells Plain.
The track upgrades at Mandela Park in Khayelitsha are already under way, with tracks identified for future upgrades including Vygieskraal Stadium in Athlone, and Jan Burger Sports Complex in Parow. This is in addition to the recently announced upgrade of the Bellville athletics track, which forms part of the broader Bellville development proposal and includes a firm commitment to retain public access to the facility.
Therefore, City’s short-term objective is to also achieve facility grading in line with the South African Sports and Recreation Act (SASREA) 2 of 2010 and broaden access to facilities across the metropole. SASREA compliance is specific to host events in line with national regulations and once graded under SASREA, these facilities will meet higher safety and accessibility standards.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Francine Higham stated that the class two certification for Blue Downs and Wesfleur is an important step forward in the City’s ongoing investment in athletics infrastructure and community recreation facilities.
While these upgrades improve the quality of the facilities and support the potential to host larger events in future, the real value lies in creating accessible, quality spaces for local clubs, schools, young athletes and communities to participate in sport and develop their talents close to home.
Through the athletics investment programme, they are working to improve facilities across the metro and create more opportunities for grassroots sport development and community participation to develop new generations of athletics champions.
Notably, the Recreation and Parks Department would like to encourage communities to assist the City of Cape Town and take ownership of the facilities to ensure that certification is retained and that the Department can continue to do upgrades and take these facilities to even higher quality levels.