Dear friends
On Sunday afternoon the 3rd of July, a very special and absolutely historic event took place on the North beach of Durban in South Africa. The Sport of Jukskei was demonstrated to the President (Ms. Kate Caithness) and Secretary-General (Mr. Colin Grahamslaw) of the World Curling Federation.
Ms. Caithness and Mr. Grahamslaw, both from Scotland, have never been to South Africa and they were visiting Durban for the 123rd Convention of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Curling, as is the case with Jukskei, is a precision-throwing sport, and the International Jukskei Federation (represented by its President, Prof Gerrie Jacobs) and Jukskei South Africa (represented by its President, Mr. Tinus Barnard; as well as its Vice-President, Dr. Melanie Jacobs), realised that this is a wonderful opportunity to internationally promote and demonstrate the sport of Jukskei to them. The event had good spectator value and also attracted a number of media people.
Various Jukskei players from the two local Unions, namely Southern and Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal were also present and took turns in demonstrating the sport of Jukskei to the two IOC members. Both Ms. Caithness and Mr. Grahamslaw tried their hand at Jukskei and remarked that it looks much easier than it really is and that a tremendous amount of skill and practice is necessary to get eventually it right (which is also the case in respect of Curling).
Attached to this e-mail (and also in a number of follow-up e-mails) you’ll find a couple of photos of the event. The International Jukskei Federation launched a formal request to the World Curling Federation to invite them for demonstration(s) of the sport of Jukskei (and exposure to the sport of Curling) to some of the Curling Federations in Scotland, England, Europe, Asia and Canada in August/September 2012. Ms. Caithness promised to place the item on the agenda of the General Assembly of World Curling in 2012.
May I take the opportunity to thank these Executive members of the World Curling Federation for their brief but meaningful visit to the sport of Jukskei? The Executive Committee of Jukskei South Africa, the Durban Tourism Board, as well as the two Kwa-Zulu Natal Jukskei Unions also deserve our much appreciated gratitude and praise.
Gerrie J Jacobs
President: International Jukskei Federation