Sense of Euphoria
The new ASA Executive can lay claim to several notable ‘ firsts .’ To begin with , 15 of the 28 members are female , more than ever before . Secondly , 80 % of the board is made up of former athletes . James Moloi is a 61-minute half marathoner ; Enoch Skosana twice represented South Africa at the Ekiden Relays , helping Team South Africa win this prestigious competition ; Jean Verster was a renowned 1500m athlete in his day ; Hendrick Mokganyetsi is the former SA Record Holder in the 400m and finished sixth in the 2000 Olympic Final . And that ’ s just to name a few , but it ’ s obvious why many feel this board will first and foremost have the interests of the athletes and the sport at heart .
So , is the sense of euphoria around this new board justified ? Most definitely , because we have already seen positive changes . The Spar Women ’ s Grand Prix is going ahead . The new board has scrapped the old qualification criteria employed by ASA in the past for the Olympics and World Champs , and has instead adopted the World Athletics criteria , as it should be . No reason to complicate matters ! Meetings are being held to help athletes qualify for the Olympics . Furthermore , the new board will be having a bosberaad in mid-June to work out its strategy , and the President is in talks to resolve the broadcasting contract , which is a major source of income for the federation . Things are happening .
In my many dealings with several individuals of this new board before they were elected ( we are going back to June 2020 ), I have always found an openness to ideas , and a willingness to try new things . Jean Verster was the first to hold track and field meetings post-lockdown , and it was James Moloi who made sure that the likes of Stephen Mokoka , Glenrose Xaba , Precious Mashele and Collen Mulaudzi were able to race at the World Half Marathon Championships in October last year . So , I believe this sense of euphoria is indeed justified .
A Cautionary Note
While it is totally understandable to feel that the winds of change are blowing in the sport , it would be grossly unfair to expect the new board to magically resolve all the challenges facing them . Firstly , they need to get comfortable in their new portfolios . Secondly , the federation is broke , and needs to resolve that problem urgently . Meanwhile , there are many other issues that need to be tackled . For starters , a new website is called for , and that doesn ’ t happen overnight . And a proactive plan for the calendar for the next few years needs to be designed .
There is so much that requires immediate attention , that it is extremely hard to decide what are the most important or urgent areas to address , so it would be unfair to expect this new board to have all the answers , all the solutions , and the means , to magically fix everything . We need to give them the time they will need , and allow them to get on with trying to rebuild the sport , without us being impatient . Remember , the sport has given them a mandate of four years , so we need to allow them to use those four years to the best of their ability .
That said , however , from the short time this new board has been in power , I am quietly confident that the winds of change are not a short blow , but will be a consistent and steady wind . For the first time in a long time , I am excited about the road ahead for athletics in South Africa .
The new ASA Board , from left : Gwadiso Ntathu , Adelina Ranthimo , Jakes Jacobs , James Moloi , Shireen Noble , Hendrick Mokganyetsi , Esther Malema , Enoch Skosana , Norma Nonkonyane and Jean Verster
About the Author
Manfred Seidler is a freelance sport journalist who has been in the industry since 1994 , in both print media and broadcasting , covering four Olympic Games for SABC Radio , and producing various athletics shows for the SABC . Follow him on Twitter : @ sportmansa ; Facebook : Sport Man SA ; Instagram : sportman _ sa .
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