I personally support the Proteas, Springboks, Cell C Sharks, Orlando Pirates, Chelsea FC and Real Madrid. I am a huge fan of LeBron James, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. I have already listed five different sporting codes and personalities. I was fortunate enough to have Satellite Television and thus exposed to the different sporting codes. I was even more privileged in that I could participate in Rugby, Cricket, Hockey, Tennis, Swimming, Athletics, Soccer, Basketball and Squash in my schooling days. I had a choice when I decided that rugby was my favorite sport. Most people in most of our country’s schools are only exposed to Soccer and Netball, so how can we possibly expect them to have an interest in rugby and cricket? What has government meaningfully implemented to combat this problem?
It is all well and good to get the media to cover stories of Sports Federations that will be disciplined, but this won’t solve the root cause of the problem. We need transformation to work for our sports to continue being as competitive as they once were. When one looks at the stats of ‘blacks’ that have made it in rugby and cricket, the picture is dull. It is dell not only because of the insignificant number, but also because the clear majority of these black individuals came from South Africa’s top boy’s schools. These schools have the facilities and coaching staff, which makes it very expensive for ordinary South Africans to attend these schools. Dale College has impressed me with their rugby teams, but where will these excellent black players end up? Maritzburg College, Glenwood High School, Michael House and K.E.S have all produced excellent players of colour in both rugby and cricket codes. Where have all these players disappeared to? There’s obviously a gap from school boy rugby and cricket to club level in this regard.
Why is the government not properly investing in development in the rural areas? Having a basketball tournament for children that don’t understand all the rules is no better than not introducing them to the sport. I am all for fun and games, but this shouldn’t be labelled as initiatives towards transformation targets. Why don’t state broadcasters show rugby on SABC as they do with cricket? They used to, which is why so many children had people such as Bola Conradie and Breyton Paulse as their heroes. Some will ask whether there is any difference with cricket? One should go to the townships to see the interest when the children play cricket in the streets. This is a good start, but will be pointless without the necessary facilities, coaching and development.
I don’t have all the answers, but the points I have raised have been written on the walls for quite a long time. It is all well and good to acknowledge our sports stars, but paying them what they’re due timeously is more than enough in this regard. These lavish dinners and sports events are a nice to have, but shouldn’t be at the expense of development at grassroots level development. The millions splashed to get international musicians to our shores for such events is a waste of time and money! I may sound harsh, but it’s because I am so passionate about us getting this right for future generations.
Transformation in sport is not impossible in our lifetime. It is never going to happen unless we tackle the issues of grassroots development and investing in proper facilities.