SA athletics a model for transformation

For a country striving to achieve equality on the field of play, it seems a terrible waste of time, energy and resources to worry about sports that are leading the drive for transformation, rather than those which are lagging behind.

By reaching more people, and providing more opportunities to potential elite stars, we should see the results reflecting at the top end of the various codes.

While national teams should never be subjected to quotas, with the push for transformation starting at grassroots level, the makeup of SA squads do offer valuable insight into the success or failure of programmes which have been put in place in recent years.

While Athletics SA was recently criticised for the second year in a row by the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation for failing to prove it had achieved preagreed targets, the problems in the sport point more towards poor administration than a lack of development.

A look back at some statistics at major international events over the last two decades offers an indication of just how much South African athletics has transformed.

At four editions of the World Championships between 1997 and 2003, six of our eight medals (75%) were earned by white athletes, while six were achieved by men and only two (25%) by women.

At the last four editions of the biennial showpiece, between 2009 and 2015, there was a visible shift.

Of the 10 medals secured by the national team over that period, six (60%) were bagged by black athletes and four (40%) were achieved by women.

Similarly, at three editions of the Olympic Games between 1996 and 2004, four (57%) of the country’s seven medals were earned by white athletes and five (71%) were secured by men.

At the last three Games, between 2008 and 2016, five of the nation’s six medals (83%) were delivered by black athletes and three (50%) were secured by women.

Possessing a luxury which most codes do not, athletics requires no specific equipment, facilities or kit. All you need to run is a pair of feet, and athletes with disabilities have proved even that is not a requirement to be able to participate.

A sport which transcends boundaries, athletics can be taken anywhere where there is a patch of relatively flat grass or a sand road, and though some disciplines are not as easily accessible, transformation shouldn’t be much of an issue for a sport which acts as a leveller across classes and cultures.

Fortunately, though all facets of our society face challenges in offering equal opportunity, ASA has managed to make huge strides over the last 20 years.

Unfortunately, the same federation can’t seem to get its ducks in a row in order to prove it.

Sports minister Thulas Nxesi has threatened to bring down the hammer if the next deadline for a transformation report is met with excuses about admin issues, after the athletics body again failed to submit the required data to be sufficiently assessed.

In his president’s address at the ASA AGM last week, Aleck Skhosana warned provincial members that they too would face punishment if they did not get their act together and ensure the necessary paperwork was filed.

Athletics has been one of the most successful sports in the country in striving for transformation, as it should be, and it will be a real shame if the athletes who have been benefited from transformation projects have their dreams and goals ripped away by looming bans and restrictions because provincial administrators can’t fill in some documents.

Equal opportunity is irrelevant when there are no opportunities at all.