Ken Borland

“People must not praise the government for supporting sport. That’s like praising a fish for swimming, it’s what it’s meant to do”.

So says Fikile Mbalula the sports minister and one of the more extraordinary people on a South African political scene that regularly shifts into the realm of the bizarre.

South Africans, like people in most other nations, have widely differing views on just what government should be doing and how well they are doing it, but the nation, almost as a whole, seems to be clamouring for more support for sport in the wake of the feel-good factor generated by the Olympics.

Sascoc initially set a target of 12 medals for the London Olympics, but given that the previous Games brought just a solitary silver medal for Khotso Mokoena in the long jump, nobody who was in their right minds believed that was likely.

Instead, the 2012 Olympics produced three golds, two silver and one bronze medal; and the target of 12 medals has now been allocated to the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

So who is going to be responsible and – that most un-South African concept – accountable for ensuring there are a dozen medals being paraded around O.R. Tambo International Airport in four years’ time?

Sascoc CEO Tubby Reddy admits that his organisation have the responsibility of ensuring sporting success.

“It’s very clear who the custodian of sport in South Africa is – it’s Sascoc. But we need to engage with government, the Department of Sport and the provinces.

“We cannot plan for 2016 if our funding is only annual. We need a cycle of funding and to build the most sustainable program going forward, we need government, the lottery and corporates.

“The minister of finance does not talk about sport, but we will go to Pravin Gordhan. We will push the politicians to unlock the resources. I understand there are other priorities, but sport is nation-building and it deserves some slice,” Reddy told the Mail and Guardian.

Mbalula is adamant that government has to find some money in its budget for sport.

“Government has got to come to the party. We need to support the young child in Gugulethu and Mitchell’s Plain, that’s what the Sports Plan is about, giving more than R1 billion. But the people need to put government under pressure to invest in sport so that we can compete with the likes of Australia,” Mbalula said.

The new Sports Plan will be launched on October 20. The high performance components of SA sport have been under the control of Sascoc for a while now, but the new dispensation will see the establishment of a national plan that will need to be implemented in all the provinces, while the government will look after sport at the school and grassroots levels.

“The national agenda needs to dictate the provincial pathway, it’s like the Springbok coach always says, he wants everyone playing the same way,” Reddy said. “The plan will also include the provincial academies, which for five or six years have been all over the place, and the coaching framework.

“The school sport plan has not worked for many years, physical education is out of the curriculum and what is taught in life orientation skills is just not the same. It took the two ministers [sport and education] longer than envisaged to decide how the new process would work, but Minister Mbalula has the passion, nothing is impossible with him, and he has the drive.”

Of course, part of the reason for the improved medal haul this year from one to 12 was the increased financial support from corporate South Africa. Companies like Sasol, Nedbank, Vodacom and SAB have a long history of backing sport, but there have been some strident voices out there calling on them to give more, because it’s “payback time”.

Such arrogance can only murder the golden goose and, as it is, the confidence of corporate South Africa in sports administrators is not exactly of the highest order.

According to some public critics, the tracks of the government gravy train also reach the offices of Sascoc in Melrose and there is obviously something of a power struggle going on between the organisation and some of the national federations.

“With due respect to the federations, they are not always right when it comes to their talent identification and we have to verify a lot of their submissions. We can’t go to the Olympic Games and wonder if we’re going to get medals, so we have to work together with the national federations,” Reddy said.

The Chinese approach of centralised control is obviously the template Mbalula favours.

“We must do what China do. We can’t compete with them, but we can replicate what they do within our limits. This one-off talent identification is a killer. There must be a process, from when the athletes are school kids,” Mbalula said.

The selection process for Rio could well begin as early as next year …

“In 2013 we must roll out the best of the best, set the standards and eliminate those who can’t reach them. We can’t wait for the sports plan to take effect for the next Olympics, we need to start now,” the sports minister stated.

The South African sports-loving fraternity will hope the minister’s words are backed by the wallet of government – the hard-earned taxes they themselves have paid.

Caster Semenya, the 800m Olympic silver medallist, on Tuesday defended herself against allegations that she had not tried to win the two-lap race in London at the weekend.

Semenya, the South African who was forced to undergo gender testing after her 2009 world championships triumph, started poorly in the final, sitting at the back of the field until she produced a late burst to finish second to Mariya Savinova, 1.04 seconds behind the Russian.

Her performance led to speculation by television pundit Colin Jackson, the three-time 110m hurdles world champion, that Semenya had deliberately avoided winning so as not to stir up fresh controversy like that in 2009.

“I tried my best, whatever people say. There is always talk, but these people know nothing about athletics,” Semenya said at Johannesburg International Airport on Tuesday, where she received a heroine’s welcome.

South Africa’s sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, praised Semenya, a shy girl from an obscure rural village in South Africa’s northern-most province of Limpopo, as an inspiration to all those coming from similarly modest upbringings.

“I don’t know about her strategy in the race, but she has made us very proud. Nobody gave her a chance, but she showed the greatest guts of a young African woman,” Mbalula said while choking back tears.

“She has toiled out of difficulty to become a symbol of greatness and has shown that it doesn’t matter where you come from. From her small village in Limpopo, where the people are full of poverty, she has become the symbol of a courageous young woman.”

Semenya’s time of 1:57.23 was top-class and she said she was satisfied with a silver medal, but would be looking to go one better in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“I am happy with silver, but it was hard work. I said to myself that I must get something from the race and I saw that the other ladies were tired. I had to pull out my turbo-boost,” she smiled.

“I’m concentrating now on next year, the world championships in Moscow, that is my main focus. The Olympics are still four years away and we learn by mistakes so hopefully I can do better next time and win the Olympics,” Semenya said.

South Africa acquitted themselves superbly as they thrashed England by an innings and 12 runs in the first Test at the Oval in London on Monday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120723/SA_acquit_themselves_superbly_at_Oval

England, the official world number one, were bowled out for 240 in their second innings on the fifth and final day, making South Africa resounding favourites to win the three-match series and take that top ranking away from the hosts.

South Africa’s officials were adamant that the team had enough preparation leading into the Test, despite many pundits suggesting otherwise, and, apart from a first-day performance that lacked intensity and focus, they were always on top of the England team.

England began the final day on 102 for four and fought valiantly to save the Test before Dale Steyn, building up a wonderful head of steam with the second new ball, claimed three for eight in four overs midway through the afternoon session to break their resistance.

Steyn had begun the day by sending Ravi Bopara packing for 22, the batsman flashing at a wide delivery outside off stump without much conviction and dragging the ball back on to his middle stump.

But Ian Bell and Matt Prior batted with admirable tenacity and application, while showing solid technique and no little skill as they took England through to lunch on 177 for five.

Bell had survived two chances, AB de Villiers clanging a simple catch off leg-spinner Imran Tahir when he was on 20 and the wicketkeeper then missed what would have been a spectacular run out when Bell had 28.

Steyn, getting big reverse-swing, and Tahir, obtaining turn and bounce out of the rough, combined well after lunch to keep the pressure on England.

Tahir, who served his team well in the second innings with figures of three for 63 in 32 overs, provided a crucial breakthrough by removing Prior 11 overs after the break.

England’s wicketkeeper/batsman tried to sweep, but the bounce Tahir was getting always makes that stroke a very risky one and the safe hands of Jacques Kallis snaffled the top-edge at slip as it flew past De Villiers.

Prior had stuck around for 86 balls, scoring 40, a good effort for England and Bell, about whom much has been written as a strokeplayer, showed plenty of resilience, character and skill in scoring 55 off 220 balls.

The key wicket of Bell came in the second over with the new ball as the batsman followed an away-swinger from Steyn, second slip Kallis taking the catch, which came very quickly as the ball basically came off the face of the bat.

The wickets of Stuart Broad, caught behind for a duck gloving a leg-side lifter, and Graeme Swann, driving straight to cover-point, came quickly thereafter for Steyn, giving him superb figures of five for 56 in 21 overs.

After some brief resistance from Tim Bresnan (20 not out), Tahir then ended the innings by trapping Jimmy Anderson lbw for four with a delivery that basically rolled after it pitched in the rough.

The delighted South Africans, with their first victory at the Oval at their 14th attempt, are now calling the tune in the three-Test series that will decide the number one ranked team in the world.

South Africa lay down the law in no uncertain terms as they hammered England by an innings and 12 runs on the fifth day of the first test at the Oval in London on Monday.

97th over – Tim Bresnan bashes a well-flighted delivery from Imran Tahir through the covers for four. WICKET – But Jimmy Anderson has to face the last ball of the over and a leg-spinner scuttles under the bat from out of the rough, trapping the left-hander lbw for 4.

94th over – Bresnan glances Morne Morkel down to fine leg for four runs.

89th over – Dropped! Jimmy Anderson’s forceful square-cut off Dale Steyn goes through the hands of JP Duminy diving full-length at point and runs away to the boundary.

87th over – WICKET – Five wickets now for Steyn as Graeme Swann drives straight to cover-point and is out for 7.

86th over – Swann reaches a thousand test runs as he drives Vernon Philander uppishly through cover-point for four.

85th over – WICKET – Steyn strikes again with the first ball of his next over as Stuart Broad fends at a lifter down leg and gloves it through to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. Umpire Asad Rauf gives it not out, but South Africa are convinced and call for the review. Although HotSpot doesn’t provide much evidence, it is clearly out and Broad is on his way for a duck!

83rd over – WICKET – Steyn strikes with his second delivery with the new ball, Ian Bell following an away-swinger and steering it straight to Jacques Kallis at second slip. Bell showed plenty of resilience, character and skill in scoring 55 off 220 balls.

78th over – Bell strokes a full delivery from Kallis superbly through the covers for four.

77th over – WICKET – The steep bounce Tahir has been getting finally brings reward! Matt Prior goes for a sweep, the ball climbs steeply and he can only get a top-edge. The ball flies past AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis takes a sharp catch high to his left at slip. Prior stuck around for 86 balls, scoring 40 – a good effort for England.

74th over – Bell goes to 49 as he tickles a Kallis delivery on to his thigh pad and then away to fine leg for four runs. His slowest test 50 is up at the end of the over as he pushes the seamer square on the off side for a single. It’s taken Bell four hours and 189 balls to reach it. He’s England’s key man.

68th over – Big inswing from Steyn, but Bell gets the ball away to fine leg for four runs.

Morning session

Ian Bell and Matt Prior were determined people as they carried England to 177 for five at lunch against frustrated South Africa on the final day of the first Test at the Oval in London on Monday.

66th over – Bell ends a strong session for England on an emphatic note as he steps out to the last ball of the morning, meets Imran Tahir on the full and drives him straight down the ground for four.

63rd over – Oh no, AB de Villiers has missed another chance but this one would have been spectacular! Prior pushes Jacques Kallis into the covers and sets off for a foolish single. Ian Bell is scrambling, Jacques Rudolph’s throw is just over the stumps, De Villiers, rushing in, dives to take the ball but can’t get it back on to the stumps as he tumbles hard into the ground! Bell has another life on 28.

59th over – Kallis is on for the first time in the innings but Prior plays a lovely shot, driving him off the back foot through the covers for four. The wicketkeeper/batsman collects a second boundary in the over off the last ball as he turns Kallis off his legs with lovely timing to the fine leg boundary.

58th over – 150 up for England, the deficit just 102 now, as Bell thick-edges a steer off Vernon Philander between the slips and gully for four.

56th over – Super shot from Prior as he strokes Philander wide of mid-off for four runs.

49th over – Dropped! De Villiers has not been totally convincing keeping to Tahir in the second innings and he now he drops a clanger! Bell, on 20, pushes forward to a perfect leg-spinner that turns just enough to get a thin edge, the ball goes straight into De Villiers’ midriff, but he can’t hang on!

47th over – Prior is off the mark with two boundaries in three balls off Dale Steyn. He flicks a short ball down leg away to the fine leg boundary and then punches firmly off the back foot, through cover-point, as the fast bowler offers some width.

46th over – Morne Morkel has been erratic this morning and now he strays on to Bell’s leg stump and is glanced away for four to fine leg.

45th over – WICKET – Not the sort of shot you want to play when trying to save the Test. Ravi Bopara flashes at a wide delivery outside off stump from Steyn, there is a bit of extra bounce and he drags the ball back into his middle stump! Bopara is out for a defiant 22 off 55 balls.

44th over – Bopara turns a short delivery from Morkel to square-leg for a single to bring up the fifty partnership with Bell off 106 balls. Sticking in there well.

43rd over – Bopara leaves a delivery from Steyn that jags back off the pitch and keeps low, missing the off-stump by an astonishing 0.8mm according to Hawkeye! Surprising that the turbulence of the fast bowler’s delivery didn’t knock off the bail!

41st over – Steyn drops short and Bopara slaps him to the square-leg boundary with an excellent hook shot.