The non-racial South African Council on Sport (Sacos) will celebrate its 50th anniversary on March 17. Around the country, clubs, provinces and schools will commemorate this memorable event.
For those who did not know the contribution that Sacos made to non-racial sport in SA, here’s a brief overview. I do not have to remind South Africans that since 1652 and up to 1994, we had been a divided country.
Many will say we are now a free country. Others will say we are still fighting for our economic freedom.
Before 1973, we had sports organisations based along racial grounds. Those who believed that we had to have one united South Africa also believed that in sport we had to have one non-racial sports organisation.
The so-called “white” sports organisations vehemently opposed this and only succumbed in 1994. Between 1973 and 1994, sports organisations for the oppressed grew phenomenally.
Participation in sport grew, especially school sports under Sacos. The SA Senior School Sports Association (Sasssa), affiliated to Sacos, flourished during this period.
In the Western Cape, especially, athletics flourished. School athletics was watched by thousands of parents, teachers and students.
Who will ever forget the Champion of Champions competition on a Saturday at Green Point Track and the Athlone Stadium? The sight of world-class sprinter of Heathfield High Terrence Smith in the 100m beating South Peninsula High’s Paul Tennant in the early 1970s was a sight to behold.
Unfortunately, since 1994, especially in poor areas, school sport has become virtually non-existent. What will it take to get non-racial sport back on track, if ever?
It is going to take a rethink from the government and the teaching fraternity to increase mass participation in sports – and it is also going to have to make sport facilities available at schools. Sports fields have to be grassed and maintained.
A transport subsidy system must be organised by provincial education departments for transporting school and provincial teams to matches and provincial tournaments.
If this is not done, then, unfortunately, there will be no sport for the masses in the country.
In the Western Cape, Sacos will have a 5km fun run on March 18, starting from Belgravia High at 8am. Belgravia was one of the top athletics schools under Sacos. See you there!
* Brian Isaacs.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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