SPORT MAN
SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
After a dismal showing at the 1976 Olympics , Australia understood they needed to invest heavily in sport . This culminated in a resounding success when they not only hosted a successful Games in Sydney in 2000 , but they also ended fourth on the medal table . Australia “ came home ” with a total of 58 medals – 16 gold , 25 silver and 17 bronze – and though it took years , they were ‘ punching ’ with the best in the world .
In the five years leading up to the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 , China threw a whopping $ 500 million into sport . The end result ? China was top of the medal table , and since then has always been amongst the major medal winners . For the Paris 2024 Games , UK Sport had already committed a massive £ 365 million before Tokyo had even come to an end . You see , Minister Mthethwa , it is not what you do the proverbial day before the Games that pays off , it is the investment that you make in the years leading up to the Olympics .
Of course , no-one expects South Africa to throw the above-mentioned figures at sport , because the country simply does not have that kind of cash , but an investment is critical . The medallists for 2024 are already training and competing . It is the medallists that will stand on the podium in 2028 and beyond that need to be identified , nurtured and developed , and above all , given the opportunities to develop and compete . It will only be in Los Angeles in 2028 that we will see the fruit of the investment that happens now .
Development and Transformation
Those are key words in South Africa , but you don ’ t simply throw R7 million into the kitty two months before the Olympics . Like the Olympics , those two words require big investment . Mr Minister , I applaud the fact that you are engaging the Department of Education – that is , after all , where development starts – but what took you so long ? Sports Minister Steve Tshwete understood this and in his white paper addressed it and designed a road map for the way forward . Minister Mthethwa , that was in 1994 !
Let ’ s take a look at how schools , the backbone of all development , let alone transformation , have been able to contribute to sport , and by extension , the health , economic and psychological wealth of the nation . Many schools do not have resources , especially those in the more rural areas , and it is not merely a playing field that is required , it is skilled coaches , too , and an investment in manpower and equipment .
Where Are My Medals ?
Read that headline again . Those were the words of the Minister of Sports , Arts , Culture and Recreation , Nathi Mthwetwa , after the “ poor showing ” of Team SA at the recent Tokyo Olympics , with just three medals won by two athletes . Is the minister right in complaining after contributing a whopping R7 million to Team SA for the Games ? ( For whopping , read sarcasm .) The simple answer is a resounding no ! Mr Minister , you have no leg to stand on when you shout about “ your ” medals . Absolutely none !
And that , Mr Minister , is the responsibility of your Department , and the Department of Education . Put those things in place and see what happens when the youngsters hit their late teens and early adulthood . For starters , invitations and scholarships to universities around the world will open up . On that , many of our best young athletes are currently studying and competing abroad , mainly in the USA , including the precociously talented Shaun Phatutshedzo Maswanganyi , who is studying in Houston , Texas . In his first Olympics , Phatu made the semi-finals in both the 100m and 200m . His coaches ? None other than the legendary Carl Lewis , he of the nine Olympics Medals , and former World Record-holder Leroy Burrel . What is on offer in South Africa to compare to that , Mr Minister ?
The Future is Bright
This past week , the World Under-20 Athletics Championships took place in Nairobi , Kenya . COVID played absolute havoc with the youngsters ’ preparations , but against all odds , Team SA came back with nine medals and finished sixth on the medal table . The men ’ s 4x100m relay team not only came home with the gold medal , but also set a World Record ! Mr Minister , that means that South Africa currently holds the World Title in the 4x100m relays in both the Senior and Junior Men … but not through any investment on your side . So just imagine the highs those athletes could reach if they were supported ?
Mire Reinstoff and Mine de Klerk won gold in the women ’ s pole vault and shot put respectively , and Mine added a bronze in the discus . Sinesipho Dambile ( men ’ s 200m bronze ) and Benjamin Richardson ( men ’ s 100m silver ) were the backbone of the 4x100m relay gold , and the women 4x100m team also set a new SA Record .
There is your future , Mr Minister . Those are the athletes who will , if given the correct support and opportunities , be the ones challenging for medals in Los Angeles in 2028 . The question is , where will you be , Mr Minister ? Still complaining about your medals ? Or will you put your money where your mouth is and give our athletes the support and opportunities they need ?
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 .
Images : Roger Sedres / ImageSA & courtesy Olympics . com
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