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The dark cloud that has been hovering above the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) seems to have subsided as the macro sports body has been getting down to the business of athletes.
The dark cloud that has been hovering above the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) seems to have subsided as the macro sports body has been getting down to the business of athletes.
Last Friday, Sascoc’s board was deliberating on the selection criteria of Team SA for next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Sascoc spokesperson Qondisa Ngwenya told City Press: “We have held meetings with the national federations to discuss their plans and athlete lists for the games.
He added that some federations had already signed their policies.
Ngwenya is part of the organisational developmental task team mandated to turn around the beleaguered body’s fortunes.
“The board did discuss the selection policies and feedback will be given to the national federations.”
He added that pre-games training camp sites had been confirmed for some of the sporting codes, while the Olympic governing body was continuing to liaise with the embassy in Tokyo. The camps will be in the cities of Iizuka (for the Paralympic team, mainly wheelchair tennis and para swimming) and Machida (for the Olympic team).
Ngwenya acknowledged the difficulties Sascoc had gone through, notably having to adapt to the slashing of its annual grant by the National Lottery from R120 million a year to R10 million.
“Yes, it has really been difficult to prepare [for the Olympics] given our weak financial position. [But] we continue despite all of it and we prioritise the Opex [Operation Excellence programme].”
About 53 athletes, comprising of able-bodied and Paralympic sports contenders, are contracted to the programme leading up to the 2020 Olympics.
Sascoc’s acting chief financial officer, Ravi Govender, told City Press earlier this year that Opex receives R1 million a month in funding – up from the R600 000 that was paid monthly between January and the end of October last year.
The programme, which has sparked controversy in the past over its beneficiaries, was established in 2009 to help athletes prepare for major international competitions.
Govender said the money came from global bodies such as the solidarity fund from the International Olympic Committee.
Asked about the projected budget for the Tokyo Games, Ngwenya could not immediately reveal the figure, but said: “The budget is awaiting board approval as a few things still need confirmation.”
Sascoc is still reeling from a difficult period clouded by allegations of maladministration and financial mismanagement, which led to then sports minister Thulas Nxesi establishing a ministerial inquiry into the affairs of the federation.
The report was released in December by Nxesi’s successor Tokozile Xasa. It concluded that the sporting body was dysfunctional, and it recommended sweeping changes in governance.
Xasa then appointed veteran administrator Mthobi Tyamzashe in March as the sports department’s facilitator to oversee the changes at Sascoc, with a deadline set for April.
Ngwenya said Sascoc had submitted an update report and was awaiting feedback from the department, which is now run by Nathi Mthethwa.
Meanwhile, Ngwenya said Sascoc was unable to announce who had already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, even though the national rugby sevens team has met the International Rugby Board’s criteria.
The Blitzboks secured automatic Olympic qualification by virtue of a top-four finish in the World Rugby Sevens Series, along with the US, Fiji and New Zealand.
Ngwenya said all qualifiers would be signed off by the technical team and the Sascoc board once confirmed.
