SASCOC on Wednesday announced their latest and updated athlete support system for the country’s leading Olympic and Paralympic sportsmen and women at a function at Olympic House, Johannesburg.

This follows a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in London last year where our Olympians returned with six medals and our Paralympians won 29 medals.

Immediately after the London Games, the country’s Olympic governing body wasted no time in turning its attention to the next quadrennial period leading up to the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Operation Excellence (OPEX) is the premier programme for prospective Olympic and Paralympic medalists and the programme consists of three different tiers which provide varying degrees of funding and support.

A total of 13 athletes on the Olympic Programme and 14 athletes on the Paralympic Programme will be part of the Tier One structure and exciting news is that there is now added special support for athletes who may not be ranked sufficiently high enough but are nevertheless preparing for 2014 Commonwealth Games qualification.

“There is no doubting that SASCOC’s increased support structures in the build-up to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics was a major factor in the country’s success at these events,” said SASCOC CEO Mr Tubby Reddy. “As such, we remain 100% committed to giving every last bit of support that we are able to and are constantly looking at new avenues of funding and back-up.”

All the country’s National Federations were asked in February to nominate athletes they regarded as qualifying for support and the deadline was 4 March, 2013.

And still more athletes names will be forwarded to the Provincial Academies to be assisted where possible and in line with the Academies’ athletes support policy.

“We’re roping in support from wherever we can to help our athletes live their Olympic and Paralympic dreams,” said SASCOC President Mr Gideon Sam. “Apart from sourcing funding wherever possible, we have roped in the Defence Force, our academic institutions and the various provincial academies, all of whom have parts to play in the bigger support picture. We saw how OPEX helped us get back on track in London after Beijing, now we are extending that programme even further.”

In the 2009-2012 quadrennial SASCOC supported 58 Olympic athletes and 42 Paralympian athletes to the tune of a whopping R70.7-million.

Said Ms Ezera Tshabangu (General Manager: High Performance Dept): “It was evident from the Games that it is critical for this support to continue to ensure that athletes and National Federations are able to plan for the next quadrennial (2013-2016).

“Regarding team sports, limited resources mean that SASCOC shall again prioritise sports codes based on past quadrennial performance history. This is to ensure that our resources are invested in sports that will return medals for the country, which is obviously the ultimate performance measure in any Games and determines SA’s standing in terms of rankings.”

Important to consider is that only athletes still eligible for 2016 qualification and participation shall be considered for support over the next quadrennial.

Support services offered to athletes through the programme will be as follows: Living expenses, medical aid, and transport for training sessions, access to training facilities, International camps and competitions, local camps and competitions, coaching fees, scientific and medical support services, technological services, sport specific equipment.

Still more support for our up and coming athletes comes in the form of SASCOC’s bursary scheme, now being rolled out around the country and funded through dividends from Phumelela.

A total of 650 applications were received nationwide by the closing date of 15 February 2013 and 11 names (five male, six female) have been shortlisted for support.

“Priority was given to national athletes who were either doing first or second year studies, with emphasis on first year applicants to allow us to support them for the full duration of their course,” said Tshabangu.

Among these names is rising sprint star Akani Simbine who set a national junior 100-metre record at the Zone VI Games in Zambia last year. “He is registered for his second year but his rationale for his inclusion is that he is an athlete who has shown great potential. The fact that he is studying information science is important because with the sports world being driven by technology his course is seen as being important in the development of databases for athlete management systems and be of great value to the sports fraternity,” said Tshabangu.

The names of athletes on the latest Olympic and Paralympic support programmes are as follows:

Olympic Programme
Tier One
Athletics: Anaso Jobodwana, Khotso Mokoena, Lehann Fourie, Sunette Viljoen, Willem Coertzen
Canoeing: Bridgitte Hartley
Rowing: James Thompson, John Smith, Lawrence Ndlovu
Swimming: Cameron Van Der Burgh, Chad Le Clos, Roland Schoeman
Triathlon: Richard Murray

Tier Two
Cycling: Teagan O’Keeffe
Equestrian: Samantha McIntosh
Gymnastics: Kirsten Beckett
Triathlon: Wian Sullwald

Tier Three
Athletics: Cornel Fredericks, Lynique Prinsloo, Zarck Visser
Boxing: Siphiwe Lusizi, Ayabonga Sonjica, Tulani Mbenge
Canoeing: Tiffany Kruger
Cycling: Ashleigh Moolman, Bernard Esterhuizen
Judo: Jacques Van Zyl
Rowing: Lee Ann Persse, Naydene Smith
Sailing: Asenathi Jim, Roger Hudson
Swimming: Michael Meyer, Myles Brown
Weightlifting: Jean Greeff

Olympics Special Support Programme
Athletics: Elroy Gelant, PC Beneke, Wade Van Niekerk
Badminton: Jacob Maliekal
Cycling: Candice Neethling, Nolan Hoffman
Judo: Siyabulela Mabulu
Rowing: Men’s Pair
Table Tennis: Team
Taekwondo: Joseph Maponyane, Hamilton Motawana, Gopolang Mokoka
Weightlifting: Team

Paralympic Programme

Tier One
Athletics: Anrune Liebenberg, Arnu Fourie, Dyan Buis, Hilton Langenhoven, Ilse Hayes, Michael Louwrens, Jonathan Ntutu, Fanie van der Merwe, Tebogo Mokgalagadi, Union Sekailwe
Cycling: Ernst Van Dyk
Swimming: Charl Bouwer, Hendri Herbst, Kevin Paul

Tier Two
Athletics: Andrea Dalle Ave, Casper Schutte, Charl Du Toit

Tier Three
Cycling: Gerhard Viljoen

Paralympics Special Support
Athletics: Chenelle Van Zyl, Zandile Nhlapo, Louzanne Coetzee, Zanele Situ
Cycling: Roxy Burns, Stuart McCreadie
Swimming: Achmat Hassiem, Shireen Sapiro
Rowing: Sandra Khumalo
Shooting: Von Zeuner Kohne
Wheelchair Tennis: Kgothatso Montjane, Lucas Sithole
Table Tennis: Team

The shortlist of athletes recommend for bursary support until completion of their studies is as follows:

Katlego Sotsaka (rowing), Akani Simbine (athletics), Maite Makola (football), Kristen Matthews (fencing), Suzaan Broodryk (athletics), Jacque Joubert (athletics), Justine Palframan (athletics), Natalie Friesling (gymnastics), Nthabiseng Matshaba (football), Johannes Pretorius (athletics), Landelani Ngubane (basketball)

Russian astronauts will take an unlit Olympic torch on a space walk ahead of the country’s hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the deputy head of the Russian space agency said on Sunday.

“It will not be a copy but exactly the same as the torch at the Olympics,” deputy head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, Vitaly Davydov, told the Interfax news agency.

He said he believed the space walk ceremony “had already been confirmed” with the country’s Olympic committee, but gave no details about the event. The torch will not be lit at any point because this would not be permitted for transportation to the ISS, he added.

A space industry source told Interfax that the schedule of spaceships ferrying astronauts to the ISS would be altered to allow for the torch ceremony, part of a relay taking in Lake Baikal and Russia’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus.

Russian astronauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky are expected to perform the space walk with the torch in November with the torch set to return to Earth on a manned flight landing on November 12, the source said.

The Russian space agency in March said the space walk was planned for August this year.

South Africa’s Olympic governing body SASCOC on Saturday moved to place its National Federation of Athletics South Africa (ASA) under interim administration.

This latest development took place at Olympic House, Johannesburg during SASCOC’s first General Council meeting of the next Olympic Games cycle leading up to Rio 2016.

SASCOC President Mr Gideon Sam said in a statement on behalf of the SASCOC Board: “We have noted that the National Federation of athletics and/or individual athletes who fall under the jurisdiction of SASCOC have approached the High Court to decide on a dispute, which is contrary to its Articles, and therefore the said Federation has failed to comply with the provisions as directed in clauses 25.1 and 25.2 of the Dispute Prevention and Resolution Chamber.

“In this regard, despite Members having agreed to refer the matter to arbitration which was ordered by SASCOC, the Members and/or the Sport still continues to refer the matter to a Court of Law.

“As a result of the above, the Board of SASCOC has determined to exercise the powers vested in it in terms of Article 9.3 of its Articles of Association, specifically Articles 9.3.1.3, and to further invoke the provisions of Article 9.3.15.

“As a result, SASCOC is hereby suspending the individuals duly elected to the the Board of ASA for infringing the provisions of the Constitution of SASCOC and is appointing an administrator to take over the running of the Federation, pending the outcome of the charges to be brought against the individual Board members of ASA as referred to above and to do all things necessary to ensure that the sport is as a matter of urgency, restored to normality.

“The Interim administrator appointed by SASCOC is the esteemed Advocate Zola Majavu (SC) and as such the Board has resolved to ensure that the athletes involved in the sport are in no way prejudiced as a result of infighting amongst the duly elected members.”

On the ongoing controversy around the code of soccer and alleged match-fixing issues, Sam also confirmed that SASCOC will continue to support the measures instituted by the Honourable Sports Minister Mr Fikile Mbalula. “We will continue to work closely with the Sports Ministry on all times on this matter.”

Also at Saturday’s meeting Sam said that continuous infighting among SASCOC’s National Federations was doing the organisation no favours at all on the road to the next Olympics in 2016.

Sam pulled no punches. “We have to cut out the nonsense going on in some of our Federations. It’s not helping us at all. We have to put our house in order and look inwards.

“From my side and the board’s side, the heat is on and we’ll call relentlessly for reports to monitor what’s going on in federations. Court actions are symptomatic of a confederation at war with itself.”

Sam said that matters like court actions counted against securing more funding. “We’re already battling with funds, we’ll become extinct unless we become innovative … funding is critical and many of us will be unable to operate as in the past.

“If you don’t think out of the box you’re going to go down. Key is to be innovative in the face of challenges. Most of us are in survival mode… get innovative and you won’t be extinct. We must remember that sport is just one sector of society and there are lots of others priorities in South Africa competing for funding.”

Sam did however say that the National Lottery Board had responded positively. “We’ve talked a lot to the Lotto and they’ve responded but it’s still not enough. We’re targeting more. In this regard, stakeholders like universities and the SA National Defence Force will help. But it’s also up to the Federations to find us the athletes – get them to the top and we’ll take over from there in our structures at SASCOC.

Deputy Sports Minister, Mr Gert Oosthuizen, in his keynote speech, agreed with Sam on the matter of sporting disputes.

“As government, we are tired of court cases, and it’s time to act responsibly. We’re pleased with the SASCOC leadership and the good work of the national federations. But we are very disturbed about public utterances and behaviour that do not serve the interest of sport. On the matter of issues surrounding football, I can say that we’ve consulted and made conclusions… in the next 17 days we’ll be showing the country the way forward in this issue.”

CEO Mr Tubby Reddy also further clarified the progress made in Cricket South Africa’s affairs.

“I’m glad to say that we finally have consensus between Government, CSA and ourselves on the structure of the board and the way forward… it was not very easy but I believe we have found probably the best solution.”

On the recently much-debated issue of the CSA emblem Sam added further information. “We have been accused of bullying our own Federations but I must point out that we all agreed as SASCOC (representing the National Federations) about complying on uniformity of the national emblem… now we are merely reminding CSA of the agreement. There is no question of bullying.

“Any resolutions made here at meetings like this are your (the federations and members) resolutions. We are speaking on your behalf!”

Further feedback regarding the National Federations saw an update of two suspended NF’s – those of Basketball South Africa and Softball SA.

Said Reddy: “In regards to basketball, the Federation was placed under administration and an interim structure, put in place under Mr Graham Abrahams, and made up for three SASCOC nominated personnel and three BSA members. A turnaround strategy was put in place, they have secured funding and programmes are in place.

“Athletes are not being denied the opportunity to compete. There are still funding challenges but the brief is to sort things out from the ground, and culminating in elections for the national executive.

“The same process was followed in softball who face an even bigger challenge with funding but things are working well with supervision from SASCOC Board member Mr Mark Alexander.

“Essentially both basketball and softball are being helped to have proper leadership before taking their rightful place in the organisation.”

The National Federations present at Saturday’s meeting also received updates regarding a 17-year plan going forward, with regards to a sports tourism, bidding and hosting strategy between 2013 and 2030. A key element of this would be the creation of a national events fund to be established regarding the hosting of top sporting events.