Paying the price of transformation

TRANSFORMATION in sport is currently a hot topic, what with the poor performance of the Boks, Bafana and the Proteas as well as national team sports in general. What is causing this mediocrity and poor performance?

I believe it is transformation. Not transformation in itself, but the politicisation, rhetoric and grandstanding of transformation. The sportsmen and women are suffering and the sports codes are deteriorating while the politicians are dramatising and craving the publicity.

Transformation is ruining our sport because it is creating tension and ruining the team spirit and team dynamic.

Black players feel they are there because of quotas and doubt their own abilities; white players probably feel they are not wanted. It must make for an unworkable team environment.

Coaches have a noose around the neck and have to select teams to satisfy politicians. Sports bodies are threatened with boycotts and bans unless they fulfil “transformation agendas”.

The sports environment in South Africa is toxic and unhealthy. All our team sport codes are deteriorating, yet individual sport codes are generally holding their own – golf, swimming, athletics.

So it clearly shows that we are a good sporting nation, but politics and transformation are ruining our team sport.

Transformation should undoubtedly continue; it is an imperative, but you cannot transform at the elite, international level. That is why our team sports are regressing. Transformation should start at the development and school level, and the cream will rise to the top. Then we will select the best, and colour will be irrelevant.

Until such time, our team sports will continue to be mediocre and poor.

We will never be a winning nation until we get the transformation agenda correct, and put the fundamentals in place at the correct development levels. MICHAEL JACOBS

Cape Town