Following the announcement by the board during the national General Council Meeting to look to tap into the experience of top performing countries, Athletics South Africa are bringing two of Africa’s top mentors to the 2019 ASA National Level 3 Coaches Symposium at the University of North West’s High Performance Centre, Potchefstroom.
National coaches, Justice Dipeba of Botswana and Benard Ouma Anyanga of Kenya, will be sharing their success stories in sprints and middle distance, respectively during the three-day symposium to held on 29 November to December 1 with 84 participants..
Dipeba coaches top world athletes Isaac Makwala and Christine Botlogetswe both who specialise in the 400m. The coach specialises in the Sprints, Relays and Hurdles.
Anyanga is a specialist coach in the middle distances with global success in the 1500m and 4 x 400m relay who has produced an array of world champions.
“We need to move with the times and admit to challenges. South Africa needs to learn from its friends in order to maximise on its potential and improve in areas where we have fallen behind.
“Dipeba and Anyanga are distinguished coaches because they are top achievers. We can be proud that our country has also produced high-performing coaches over decades at global level. Together with our coaches, this year we have opted to bring in other top coaches to compare notes with and collectively work towards the Olympic Games in Tokyo in eight months’ time.
“The coaches from Botswana and Kenya will form part of the assessment of the coaches who will be delivering their thesis for their National Level 3 coaching licences,” said Aleck Skhosana, the President of Athletics South Africa.
Dr Harold Adams, a respected member of the medical committees of World Athletics and the Confederation of African Athletics and Dr Sibusiso Kumalo of the ASA Medical Committee, will lead a topic on what considerations to be made in preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games and 2020 IAAF World U20 Championships in Kenya. Dr Adams is also the Vice President of ASA.