Pineapple Week retains the true amateur spirit
NOBODY will dispute that the age of professionalism is well and truly entrenched in modern-day sport. And yet, in Port Alfred and its surrounds, starting on Saturday, you will find an event which fully embraces an amateur age when sport was played for fun.
The famous Pineapple Week gets under way this weekend, providing a week's entertainment for the cricketing communities of the Albany and Bathurst regions, an event which is now entering its 110th year.
Simply known in the region as "The Tournament", this competition is proving as hardy as the tough men who grew up in the Eastern Cape frontier, for whom sport has always been a form of release from the arduous work of tilling the soil.
Sure, there may be a few awards at the end of the event and, as is necessary in the modern game, sponsors are involved. But the biggest emphasis will be on enjoying a sport played in the truest sense of the amateur spirit, with a few bragging rights to round it off.
It is a tribute to the cricket- mad community of the region that the tournament continues to thrive, this time catering for 30 teams in two sections, playing from Saturday to Saturday.
Many cricket enthusiasts in the region have contributed to the success of the tournament and the task of organising the whole event currently rests chiefly with Southwell farmer Justin Stirk.
He remains positive about the tournament, saying: "Cricket is still healthy in these parts and of the 30 teams playing in the tournament, 26 of them have been around for many years. The standard is still very good."
Nor have the organisers forgotten the legacy left by those who came before them. Each year they host an over-60s evening which is full of memorable tales from years gone by.
This will happen on Monday when local farmer Ross Purdon will deliver a talk on the history of the event.
Besides the cricket, the banter between those competing is fast and furious.
In his time as EP cricket chief executive, Dave Emslie visited the tournament at times and recalls his most memorable chirp as: "Man that chap conserves so much energy, we call him Solar Panel, boet!"
The true meaning of the tournament left an indelible impression on Emslie as he left Port Alfred one evening.
"Along the side of the field at the Port Alfred Hospital, seeing the teams and their families sitting, discussing the match and sipping on a drink while the children had their turn in the middle, presented a marvellous picture of camaraderie and fellowship so often sought, but too often missing in our busy and demanding lives," Emslie recalled.
"Long live Pineapple Week – you are a shining example of what we can achieve in our country if the will, commitment and enthusiasm to make a difference is alive to the obvious opportunities that exist."
