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South Africa: 2013 Learners Rediscovering Road to Fitness |
| Source: |
SA -the Good News |
| Source Date: |
Friday, January 25, 2013 |
| Focus: |
Citizen Engagement
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| Country: |
South Africa |
| Created: |
Jan 25, 2013 |
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Children compete in up to 15 different indoor and outdoor sporting disciplines over the course of the three days. They are exposed to a huge variety of sports, including cricket, tennis, hockey, rounders, table tennis, badminton, netball, soccer, rope skipping, athletics and touch rugby.
According to coordinator Brad Bing, the Challenge is a step in the right direction towards reaffirming an active lifestyle amongst South African youth, a lengthy process which is now underway, which is benefiting from both corporate and government support.
"The fitness of an entire generation of South African children has been compromised since physical education was significantly downscaled in the national school curriculum in 1999, and it will take another seven years before the reintroduced physical education programmes become fully functional, following comprehensive teacher education. Research has shown that children develop healthy habits by the age of 12. "If you’re not playing sport or leading an active and healthy lifestyle by then, the chances are that sport and physical activity will not feature in your adult life," says Bing.
Explaining the origin of the Challenge, Bing said that a 2004 study revealed that an alarmingly large percentage of South African children were already facing probable obesity-related health problems. "It was obvious that we needed to kick-start an awareness of the importance of exercise and living a healthy lifestyle, which we hoped would grow into a passion for sport and physical activity."
"There is a need for urgent attention from parents, teachers, organisations and other authorities to address the problems of childhood nutrition and physical activity. "Balanced nutrition and healthy eating combined with exercise are the cornerstones of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes sponsorship of the event," says Bing.
"More than a quarter of a century of research supports a positive link between breakfast, mental alertness and physical performance. Our involvement with this important initiative supports our belief that a healthy body and mind are a winning combination," says Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes’ Brand Manager Jack Kruger.
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