SPORT MAN
SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
A New Dawn
The recent national executive elections at the Athletics South Africa Quadrennial General Meeting delivered a resounding statement from the athletics community : “ We want change .”
On 8 May , a new board was elected to head up Athletics South Africa ( ASA ), and it wasn ’ t an election that could in any way be termed as normal . Firstly , it was held during a pandemic , and because of that , had been postponed by a year . Secondly – and this is critical – the election did not just see a few seats / positions change . Of the 28 people on the previous executive , including board members , head of commissions and additional commission members , only five held onto their seats . It was an outright revolution !
Getting to This Point ?
The outgoing ASA president , Aleck Skhosana , was voted in for a shorter term than normal in 2014 . Elections normally happen in an Olympic year , but the then ASA Board had become so dysfunctional due to infighting that World Athletics was called in to mediate , an interim board was put in place , with full elections to follow in 2016 , as per the constitution and the voting calendar . That interim board was pretty much voted in as the full board in 2016 .
Some sense of stability returned , but then in March 2020 , Skhosana announced his desire to run for the presidency of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee ( SASCOC ). Many within the athletics family felt let down , saying he had unfinished business in athletics , but be that as it may , Skhosana was resoundingly beaten in the SASCOC elections . Then it was felt “ he wanted back in ” at ASA .
Compounding all of this was a pandemic that stopped all sport , and leadership in the sport was required and sought after . Many felt this was not forthcoming , and athletes took to social media to voice their displeasure . Very loudly ! Through it all , though , it seemed as if the ASA leadership was just not listening to its members . To make matters worse , government asked federations to come up with proposals on how to get sport going again . Cycling South Africa was amongst the most proactive and was already operating by September , during level 3 . Triathlon South Africa also quickly “ opened up ,” and the top tiers of soccer , rugby , cricket , netball and tennis all went ahead successfully . In contrast , athletics was nowhere to be seen ... and that was the final nail in the coffin for the previous board .
Ousted ASA President Aleck Skhosana
Newly elected ASA President James Moloi
The winds of change were thus blowing hard in the sport , even before the ASA elections . Proof of this was what many felt was a surprise win for Hendrick Mokganyetsi as President of Athletics Gauteng North . Many had been quite dismissive of his chances in that provincial election , and I must admit , I did not think he would win . Yet he did ... and that was a shot across the bow of the old board . It was sign of things to come , and whatever the old board tried prior to the ASA elections , it was too little , too late .
The New Board
In a meeting that lasted six and a half hours , former Chair of the Road Running Commission , and President of Central Gauteng Athletics , James Moloi , was voted in as new President of ASA . He received 39 votes against the 27 received by incumbent President Skhosana . Moloi will relinquish his presidency at Central Gauteng Athletics as a result of being elected ASA President , and will lead the national federation for a four-year term . Shireen Noble of Athetics South Western Districts , who was an additional member of the outgoing board , is the new Vice President , and she takes over from Dr Harold Adams .
The new-look 12-member ASA Board looks as follows :
President : James Moloi ( Central Gauteng Athletics ) Vice President : Shireen Noble ( Athletics South Western Districts )
Commissions ’ Chairpersons : Track & Field : Jean Verster ( Athletics Central North West ) ( Vice-Chair : Sabata Kumalo ) Road Running : Enoch Skosana ( Athletics Gauteng North ) ( Vice-Chair : Moses Gericke ) Cross Country : Jakes Jacobs ( Western Province Athletics ). ( Vice-Chair : Jantjie Theletsane ) Athletes Commission : Hendrick Mokganyetsi ( Athletics Gauteng North ) ( Vice-Chair : Kesa Moletsane )
Additional Board Members : Adelina Ranthimo ( Athletics Free State ) Esther Malema ( Limpopo Athletics ) Norma Nonkonyane ( Western Province Athletics ). Gwadiso Ntathu ( Border Athletics )
Representatives : USSA : Jazz Mnyengeza SASA : William Mokatsanyane
In addition , each of the four Commissions , operating effectively as a subcommittee , has a further three members each , making up the total of 28 members of the executive : Track and Field : Susan Molobye-Milanzi , Tracy Olivier , Tshifhiwe Makhosi Road Running : Colleen McNally , Hilda du Plessis , Juanita Bester Cross Country : Adam Motlagale , Londi Selala , René Coetzee Athletes : Elroy Gelant , Lukhanyo Mabinza , Tsholofelo Thipe
Images : Roger Sedres / ImageSA & courtesy Athletics South Africa
10 ISSUE 142 JUNE 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za