World Transplant Games underway in Durban

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - The World Transplant Games 2013 kicked off in Durban, South Africa, on Monday with a welcome from city Mayor James Nxumalo.

About 1,200 athletes and supporters walked, in national colours, with the giant World Transplant Games Beach ball along Durban’s famous beachfront.

On Tuesday, the Games sporting programme will start with a 5km run and the staging of the first international Petanque (boule) tournament in South Africa.

The World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF) stages the games in a bid to increase the public's awareness of the success of transplant surgery and to increase the rate of organ donation.

Samantha Volschenk, Executive Director of the Organ Donor Foundation, said at any given time there were 4,000 people in South Africa awaiting organ and cornea transplants, but on average only 600 transplant operations were done in a year.

The largest contingent of athletes come from Great Britain and Northern Ireland with 298 athletes, followed by 142 from the United States, 136 from South Africa and 110 from the Netherlands.
-0- PANA CU/SEG 29July2013