Gearing Up For 2021 Tokyo Olympics – Made Possible By The National Lotteries Commission
The Sports Trust, headed by executive director Anita Mathews, was appointed as the implementation partner/agent to facilitate the timeous payment to potential medallists, teams and coaches for the Olympics and Paralympics.
In fulfilling its role as the implementation partner/agent, the Trust has reached out to South African athletes for the designs and samples of clothing with sizes and specifications aligned to their needs, including the distribution thereof.
Established jointly by the private and public sectors in 1994, the Trust acts as an independent organisation.
The Trust, which is a strategically placed implementation partner for sports development in historically disadvantaged communities, assists companies with their alignment towards broad-based black economic empowerment requirements.
As a public benefit organisation and non-government organisation, it is also able to issue section 18A tax certificates to the many donors, and also has the mandate to facilitate sports delivery at grassroots and national level.
This includes the Olympics and Paralympics that take place every four years. The Games offer a rare opportunity to many athletes who want to realise their dreams by taking part in these global events.
To be part of these global events, the athletes put in a solid, dedicated and focused training programme many months before the Games, which last for a few seconds, minutes, hours, and sometimes a few days for some athletes.
However, like all the sporting events, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were cancelled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Disappointment and heartbreak set in following the cancelation, as all the preparations and sacrifices amounted to nothing. For some athletes who had reached the ultimate peak of their careers, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were penciled to be their last global events before they retired.
Apart from the disappointment, there were also financial pressures, as most athletes could not provide for their families. The situation was dire and hopelessness took over.
It was for this reason that the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) set up a programme to support deserving and potential medal prospects as they prepare to take part in the postponed Games, scheduled to take place between July and August this year.
The NLC funds were made available to Olympians and Paralympians.
Together with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, the athletes were identified, across all sporting codes, to receive financial support and aid.
Those selected were able to cover their living expenses, medical expenses, get access to technical coaches, physios, and upgrade their technical equipment.
All this had remained a pipe dream until the NLC stepped in and shone a ray of light.
The NLC funding has been a welcome relief to many athletes who have since expressed their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation.
The athletes have thanked the NLC for the much-needed assistance during the period of uncertainty and for enabling them to resuscitate their dreams of taking part in the 2021 Tokyo Games.