Big Five victories: West End Primary School shines at drilling competition
West End Primary School has once again proven itself a force to be reckoned with, clinching the Big Five major victories over the past three years at the annual Marching and Drill Competition held at the Jan Burger Sports Complex in Parow over the weekend.
The event, hosted by the Mitchells Plain LOC in collaboration with the South African Police Service and Midea Marketing and Promotions, attracted teams from across South Africa, including entrants from the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, with nine high schools, eight primary schools, and seven community teams taking part.
West End Primary delivered an outstanding performance, taking first place overall and triumphing in the Drum Major Division, while finishing second in the Exhibition, Grand March and Drumline Battle categories. The school also secured the Best Drum Major trophy in the Primary Schools Division.
A shining star, Amarah Akiemdien, helped lift the squad even higher by winning the Drum Majorette title for a second consecutive year, following her national award last year.
Coach Dawood Abrahams, a former drum major, reflected on the team’s performance.
“I remember when we went out to the field, we had a talk about going out there, doing your best and just having fun. The competition was tough this year, everyone brought their A-performance. I am extremely proud of the team. Honestly, we weren’t sure if we’d won. We were placed second in three categories and first in one. We’re so used to winning sections, so when they announced our name, we literally stood there frozen. But we did it and d like the supporters say, ‘we bagged the Big Five in three years’.”
Teacher Garnette Krigga highlighted the spirit of the competition.
“We celebrate the win, but we also celebrate the spirit of the sport. We know how important this is for our kids, especially those from underprivileged areas, who give it their all. You could see how this sport teaches skill, discipline and compassion. Some teams came with very little, and they were helped by teams who had more, it was amazing to watch how these kids support each other. I’m all for this, and I want to see it grow.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za