Competitive cleaning up comes to South Africa in the form of the local qualifier for the inaugural SPOGOMI World Cup.
What on earth is SPOGOMI? It’s a competitive, environmentally-conscious team sport that was started in Japan back in 2008, and has since been spreading around the world on the back of its communal drive to save our seas and waterside environments by reducing marine litter. Essentially, groups of three people (with all ages and abilities welcome), armed with work gloves, garbage bags, and 1 set of tongs per team, compete to pick up as much litter as possible within a time limit. Points are awarded according to the amount and type of trash picked up in the designated area.
SPOGOMI was born out of the realisation that plastics and other debris are choking the world’s oceans. Of the 400 million tons of plastic produced annually, at least 14 million tons of it ends up in the oceans. UNESCO predicts that by 2050, plastic will outweigh all fish in the sea, unbalancing ecosystems, impacting food safety and health across all species, including human, due to the prevalence of microplastics in the water, and contributing to climate change.
In response, the Nippon Foundation launched its “Change For The Blue” initiative in 2019, a joint public, private, and academic sector project to raise national and global awareness of the problem of ocean debris. SPOGOMI forms part of these efforts, with The Foundation supported in this regard by international clothing brand UNIQLO.
Hosted by Social Sports Initiative, the SPOGOMI World Cup 2023 (the first ever global face-off) is coming up in Japan in November, with 21 nations competing. The South African regionals are happening this coming Sunday, 15 October, at the Kingfisher Canoe Club, on the banks of the Umgeni River, in Durban. That area of the city, around Blue Lagoon, is notorious for its trash build-up and pollution in general, which flows straight into the Indian Ocean. The winning SPOGOMI team in Durban will fly to Japan next month to compete in Tokyo.
You can express your interest in the event on Facebook here, as well as find out more information, including all the competition rules, on the official site. The official website is also where you can register to compete, although spots are limited, and first come first serve. Just note that at least one team member must be over 18, and two of the three teammates must be South African citizens or permanent residents.
There’s nothing South Africans enjoy more than showing off our capabilities on a global stage, and this time it’s for a good cause as well. Time to clean up!