Sascoc defends 46 officials on trip

KARABO NGOEPE and SAPA

THE SA Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has defended the proportion of athletes to officials in Team South Africa for the 2012 London Olympic Games, starting later this month.

“I think you’ll find that most countries going to the Olympics will have roughly the same proportion of athletes to officials, if not more,” Sascoc’s CEO Tubby Reddy said.

A team of 125 South African athletes (67 male and 58 female) will travel to London accompanied by 46 officials, serving in various capacities.

An additional 12 medical staff (three doctors and nine physiotherapists) will ensure the wellbeing of the athletes along with a general team management complement of eight.

In comparison, Australia’s Olympic team comprises 410 athletes and 319 officials.

“Wherever possible, we have kept officials down to the minimum, without sacrificing on the qualify of support,” Reddy said.

“In many of the codes where we don’t have a large competitor base the official will double up on coach-manager duties.

“It stands to reason when it comes to the bigger codes, more support staff are needed.”

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma has told Team SA not to return with fewer than 12 medals.

Zuma was speaking at a farewell function for the teams at the Presidential Guesthouse yesterday. In his address, Zuma spoke of how the Olympic movement had stood behind the liberation of the country and refused to acknowledge the apartheid government.

He said 2012 marked the 20th anniversary of SA’s readmission into the international sporting community in general and Olympics in particular.

“Each time we send our teams to compete abroad, we celebrate the role of sports in the Struggle to bring about a free, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic South Africa.

“The Olympic movement stood with us at every turn of the Struggle for freedom and liberation, stating boldly and unapologetically, that there shall be no normal sport in an abnormal society.”

Athletes were representatives of a proud nation, which would be behind them all the way.

He said by building state of the art infrastructure, including stadiums and roads, and refurbishing airports SA proved Africa’s capability to the world and challenged all negative stereotypes about our continent.

“Team South Africa, now is your turn to take this nation to even greater heights. We have been to Beijing. We are now going to London and we must do better there than in Beijing,” Zuma said.

“And as you prepare for London, there are some important values for you to remember. These are discipline, passion, commitment and dedication. These will propel you to greater heights.”

Zuma warned the athletes about drugs and urged them to conduct themselves in a manner that would make the nation proud.

“More important, we want you to be clean – no drugs, no hectic partying and no negative behaviour of any sort. We want at least 12 medals, nothing less.”

Zuma said they had to win for SA and win for, Nelson Mandela who is turning 94 years of age on July 18.

Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula urged the athletes not to go to London to make up the numbers but to go there and fight for their country and come back with medals.

“Go to London and do us proud, raise the flag with pride,” he said.

“Don’t just become statistics but go there to compete with other nations.”

The DA’s spokesman on sports and recreation, Winston Rabotapi, also wished the team well. He said South Africans understood how sport could bring people together.

Kobus Oeschger, a Pretoria member of the wheelchair basketball team, said he was excited about going to the Paralympics and hoped to do well. He said the team planned to show the world what Africa and SA were made of. “We have prepared very well and I think we will be able to bring back a lot of medals.”