CoJ lifeguard team wins second place
Lifeguards lghts up Florida Lake during race
“The Joburg City Dragons trained twice a week for the past two months, and their hard work and dedication paid off,” said councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
These were the words of the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Development, when she congratulated the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) Lifeguard team, for taking second place at the recent Dragon Boat Racing event held at the Florida Lake.
The event was a joint venture by the CoJ, the Taiwanese Association of South Africa, the South African Taiwanese Hakka Association and the Gauteng Dragon Boat Association.
The winners on the day were the Florida Legends, a team from the old Florida Lake Dragon boaters. The Orange Farm Dragons came in third.
“The aquatic section of the CoJ has been involved in dragon boating since 2004, when the first team was formed, and some of the original team members are still involved in the sport. The Joburg City Dragons consists of permanent and seasonal lifeguards from various regions across the CoJ aquatics section,” the MMC said.
She explained that dragon boat racing is a team sport which promotes competitiveness and encourages the team members to work together towards the common goal – winning the trophy. “Each team consists of 18 paddlers, a sweep, a drummer and a catcher. Racing takes place over a distance of 350 metres,” she said.
In 2006, various aquatic division staff members were selected to represent South Africa in the International Taiwan Dragon Boat Racing event, and the CoJ’s sponsorship enabled them to participate in the event. “The Women’s SA team came back with two silver medals, and the men’s team placed fifth,” said the MMC.
She added that she was encouraged to see the CoJ lifeguards gaining such skills and participating in aquatic sports, but she would love to see more teams coming from the previously forgotten communities in the CoJ to participate. “This will be instrumental in getting children and youth off the streets and occupied in constructive activities. It also teaches them discipline as each sport has a code of conduct that all participants need to follow,” she said.
She concluded by saying, “I expect the Joburg City Dragons to win first place next year, and that there will be more teams coming from the city.”
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