By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The (SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) SASCOC Athletes Commission held an inaugural Indaba held at Olympic House in Johannesburg on Saturday, 9 April.
Khotso Mokoena, Chairperson of the Athletes Commission, called it “a huge milestone for athletes”. The 2008 Olympic silver medallist and SASCOC Board chairman said, “ever since my athletics career started in 2000, this is the first athletes Indaba that’s happened. It’s a huge milestone”.
Key role players made presentations, including Humphrey Kayanga, the former Kenyan Sevens rugby player who is now an integral member of the IOC’s Athletes Commission, Aya Medany, the former Egyptian modern pentathlete and Dr Kirsten van Heerden, chairperson of SASCOC’s Psychology Working Group gave presentations to the Indaba.
The president of SASCOC, Barry Hendricks, paid tribute to the work and progress the Athletes Commission is making. “These are a young group of athletes, the people to take the organisation forward. Under the guidance of Khotso, himself a former Olympic medallist and a SASCOC Board member, great things are happening. We are always setting new goals and that’s the case here (with the Athletes Commission).”
Hendricks said that SASCOC itself was changing as it plots the way forward. “In June we are undergoing a rebrand and changing our name to Sport SA. We decided to move away from SASCOC because when we incorporated the Paralympic movement into it, the name ‘South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee’ is too long. Sport SA is clean and simple.”
Nozipho Jafta, the CEO of SASCOC, also addressed athletes and gave them the macro organisation’s support. “The athletes are the greatest asset we have at SASCOC and within Team South Africa,” she said. “They are the individuals and teams who are always in the shop window, the ones who the public see and adore – and quite rightly so. When athletes do well, either individually or as a team, the whole country is energized.
“The Athletes Commission is doing a fantastic job in giving the athletes their voice and with that comes the confidence and freedom to perform to their best. SASCOC is determined to provide athletes with structures and support that will see them go on and perform on that world stage, putting smiles on the millions of ordinary South Africans who support them.”
Jafta also had further good news for the athletes. “We are hoping to re-introduce the OPEX programme as we move forward. This will directly benefit the cause of our athletes and we have a commitment to help develop athletes ready their potential.
There was also an update on the Commonwealth Games, now 110 days away to be held in Birmingham and will take place from 28 July to 8 August 2022.