SA public get to decide on Games gear for opening ceremonies

Following the successful voting of Chukuru as Team South Africa’s mascot for the 2012 Olympics and Paralymic Games and beyond, the nation has now been invited to help choose the official kit that South Africa will proudly wear at the Opening Ceremony for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

South Africa’s Olympic governing body SASCOC sent out a tender to the top fashion designers around the country for proposals to design the kit. Criteria for the creation of the designs were that the outfits must be proudly South African, for males and females (two separate garments if required), as well as being comfortable.

The nation’s fashion houses responded extremely well to the task and more than 20 designers submitted entries, some of them entering more than one design.

On Tuesday, 8 May a judging panel met in Johannesburg to trim the entries down to a maximum of six designs.

Among the judging panel were Miss South Africa Melinda Bam, retired soccer ace and Team South Africa Ambassador, Lucas Radebe, former athlete and also a Team SA ambassador Geraldine Pillay, television personalities Robert Marawa and Carol Tshabalala as well as fashion expert Grant Blackbeard. Also having their input from the current crop of sports stars were 2008 Olympian and 2012 Olympic Games qualifier Rene Kalmer (marathon) and wheelchair tennis player Lucas Sithole.

The following six outfit proposals were chosen from those submitted:

Colleen Eitzen
Craig Native
Gert Johan
Gina@Work
JJ Schoeman
Leigh Schubert

Each and every South African is now invited to have their say to choose a Proudly SA outfit to be worn at the opening ceremonies in London.

The public will shortly be able to vote on-line through the YOU, Drum, Huisgenoot, SuperSport and SABC websites. They will be able to vote through the medium of SMS lines until 18 May 2012 and the winning design will be then be announced on 21 May at the Paralympic Games 100-day countdown in Cape Town.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics and Paralympics are spectacular occasions, watched by billions of people around the globe and South Africa will be hoping to wow the world with their Proudly South Africa fashion statement.