Transplant Games for Durban

By Mark Etheridge

Following the succesful hosting of the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament, comes the news that South Africa will play host to yet another global competition.

The city of Durban will host the 19th World Transplant Games in July/August 2013. This after the World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF) announced that Durban had been given the nod ahead of rivals Tokyo, Japan.

The announcement was made in Gotenborg, Sweden and South Africa won the bidding by a nailbiting six votes to five.

An ecstatic Willie Uys, president of the SA Transplant Sports Association, thanked various support structures who assisted in bringing the games to South Africa.

“From the outset we received great support from SASCOC and the Dept. of Sport & Recreation as well as receiving help with various aspects from the Durban Municipality / eThekwini Metro, Durban International Convention Centre and Tourism.

“Hosting the World Transplant Games in 2013 brings with it a huge responsibility but also a wonderful opportunity for South Africans to see how people who have had life-saving transplant operations, compete in a wide variety of sports disciplines. We are hoping that we will be able to show that there is indeed life after a transplantation. We invite people and companies to partner with us in making this a sporting and life-changing experience for all participants, supporters and spectators.”

The last World Transplant Games were held in Gold Coast, Australia and it’s expected that more than 50 countries will be represented by between 2000 and 5000 participants who would have undergone life-saving heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney and bone-marrow transplants.

Many family members, friends and interested parties will attend the weeklong celebration of life and the giving of life.

It will also help the city of Durban with more invaluable experience in the hosting of a global event, particularly with the city’s name being bandied about as a possible host city for the 2020 Olympic Games.