Well done SA – but more must be done for athletes

GIVEN that South Africa earned 40 medals at the Commonwealth Games, compared to just six at the 2012 London Olympics, it is clear that the former event lags well behind its big cousin in terms of status.

And while there may be some who question the relevance of the Commonwealth event in a profit-driven world, the competition in Glasgow, dubbed the Friendly Games, was a wonderful celebration of sport.

A total of 71 countries, and about 5 000 athletes, competed in Glasgow in an 11-day festival which was described by some as the “best games ever”.

It will give the organisers of the 2018 Games to be hosted by Australia’s Gold Coast a tough act to follow.

And you only have to ask any medal-winning athlete how important the event was to them. Swimmer Cameron van der Burgh’s reaction after winning the 50m breaststroke was not that of a man who thought the medal counted for little.

Make no mistake, the medals earned by South Africa should not in any way reflect what Team SA may achieve when the Rio de Janeiro Olympics roll around in two years’ time.

Several sports in which SA earned gold medals in Glasgow are not Olympic sports – bowls, for instance – and the competition at the Rio celebration will naturally be far higher.

But the performances in Glasgow have at least given the SA athletes and officials a base from which to work as they aim to improve their Olympics returns. Without denigrating the event in any way, the Commonwealth Games are the perfect breeding ground for South Africans as they strive to work out where they can improve to compete with the best.

Let us not fool ourselves. De- spite our magnificent climate and wonderful sporting tradition, South Africa lags behind many nations when it comes to producing on the sports field.

But that should not stop us from trying. Sportsmen need to be honest with themselves and to realise just how much sacrifice and effort it takes to compete with the best.

Equally, the country’s sporting administrators need to ensure that efficient programmes and proper funding are put in place so obstacles are removed for our athletes.

There are far too many allegations in some sporting circles of the misuse of funds.

If there is one thing Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula needs to do, it is to ensure these sorts of stories have no substance. If he does not succeed, South African sportsmen and women will continue to struggle to compete with the rest of the world.