SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
SPORT MAN
SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
The world ’ s major sporting codes – football , golf , tennis , basketball , etc – all have one thing in common : They have star attractions , think Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo in football , Novak Djokovic in tennis , Tiger Woods in golf ( even with his performances no longer as great , he is still a super star ). Here in South Africa , rugby , soccer and cricket can say the same , even if they have problems , but they are far more lucrative and have more spectator appeal than track and field .
Is Track & Field in Trouble ?
Although World Athletics is trying everything it can to change things , with some success , the sport of track and field is still in trouble , both locally and internationally … unlike road running , which is by and large flourishing as it continues to make a comeback post the COVID Pandemic .
Creating more rivalries and leagues could grow excitement and interest
Take note , I am not speaking about athletics ( running ) as a sport in general , I am speaking specifically about track and field . In South Africa , road running is strong . Look at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series , the SPAR Grand Prix Series , Hollywoodbets races , Two Oceans , Comrades , Cape Town Marathon , Soweto Marathon . They all are in strong positions , even though there is still room for improvement ( there always is ), but these road running events generate much higher public interest , and participation , than track and field .
The Root Causes
One of the reasons is a lack of superstars – household names – in track and field . Yes , we have Akani Simbine and Wayde van Niekerk , who are world class athletes , but outside of them , the ‘ man in the street ’ has no idea who our other track and field stars are . Then there is another element . Track and field is just not attractive to sponsors , because it has no mass participation , which is the area that most sponsors want to get involved in , as that has potential sales . Track and field just does not offer that .
The exception to this is schools ’ athletics , which has grown phenomenally over the years and even gets live television coverage . Why ? Well , because of the parents who want to watch their children perform . Schools ’ athletics meets are always packed , and that opens a door for sponsors who are looking at engaging parents with their products . One has to remember that a sponsorship does not come about because a CEO or marketing manager happens to like a particular sport or event , it comes with the question , “ How do we turn our sponsorship into sales , and feet through the door ?”
Athletics is also a complex sport . Times adjusted for altitude or wind . Intricate measurements . What exactly does 9.58 seconds mean ? The athletics lover knows the answer to this , but the ‘ man in the street ,’ the one who you want to attract as a spectator or viewer , may not know . Whereas a goal is a goal is a goal in soccer , and a scoreline of 1-0 or 33-10 is easily understood , our sport is just too complex for a lot of people .
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Track and field needs to ‘ rethink ’ to stem waning interest and sponsorships
ISSUE 166 | www . modernathlete . co . za
We also lack the great rivalries , the derbies , that spectators want to see – like Liverpool taking on Manchester United , or the Bulls against the Stormers – but how many people , by comparison , want to watch US sprinting World Champ Noah Lyles race the 100m or 200m ? Jamaican legend Usain Bolt used to fill stadiums because of his appeal , showmanship and charisma . And because he was insanely fast . Even if you did not understand the times , you could see him fly away from the rest of the field and put on a great show ... but he was one of the few who had that ability in the sport of track and field .
How Do We Change This ?
There are so many options here . Rebuild rivalries . Its Akani Simbine vs Noah Lyles vs Christian Coleman . Athletes used to hunt each other down to race against each other . Now they avoid each other until the last minute , only really going head-tohead at Olympics and World Champs . Athletes also need to take responsibility for marketing themselves and the sport .
Another idea is team competitions , such as a league scenario . We all watch the PSL table to see where Sundowns , Chiefs or Pirates are , so do the same in athletics . Introduce a series , with series prize-winners , and keep it simple . A win is five points , second place gets four points , and so on , and then calculate log standings . Also , take the sport to the ‘ streets .’ How about beach pole vault ? It ’ s already happening . Some might say this would detract from the purity of the sport , but right now it ’ s a dying sport that needs to reinvent itself , so the purists ( like me ) need to relook things .
And finally , find ways to make the sport attractive to sponsors again , over and above the usual “ this is how much exposure you get .” Ask what can be done for the sponsor , not the other way around . Sadly , the leadership in the sport does not always grasp this concept , and until that changes , we are going to continue to see the sport decline .
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 : Stephen Pond / Getty Images for World Athletics