‘Sporting quotas not practical at all’

POLOKWANE – Fikile Mbalula, minister of sport and recreation, recently announced a 60:40 quota system for the top five national sport federations.

This means that national rugby, cricket, football, athletics and netball teams had to adhere to these quotas (60% black players and 40% white players in each team) or lose departmental support, sponsorship and their national colours.

“We would like to call on all South Africans to travel this journey with us towards the creation of a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic sport system in South Africa,” Mbalula said.

Many people feel this is exactly what this 60:40 quota system would be, discrimination against true talent.

The Olympic Charter proclaims that the practice of sport is a human right: “Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The organisation, administration and management of sport must be controlled by independent sports organisations”.

Review spoke to a few sports experts in Polokwane to hear what they had to say about the 60:40 quota system.

Paul de Bruin from the Limpopo Blue Bulls High Schools Rugby Association has been involved in the Coca Cola Craven Week for the past 29 years.

“Racial quotas will never work. Even on international level SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby), which is the body that runs Super Rugby, says that the strongest teams should play, not that I believe players of colour will weaken a team’s chances of doing well,” De Bruin said.

“To take the current Springbok team as an example: if this 60:40 quota is implemented, there would not be spaces in the team for players like Jannie and Bismark du Plessis.

“My view is that Mbalula should rather use his strength, time and money to help young talent to learn their craft from a young age and to make sure that opportunities are created for them.

“In rugby there is a shortage of gear and coaches to train young players from disadvantaged backgrounds properly.

There is also a shortage of facilities to play matches, especially at rural schools. This should be looked at when it comes to developing the sport.

“If a fruit is not ripe, you cannot squeeze it ripe. The same principle applies to sports development. If the 60:40 quota does indeed happen, my opinion is that South African rugby, which is currently ranked second in the world, would drop in the rankings the way Bafana Bafana did.

“Mbalula is choosing a shortcut that won’t work,” said De Bruin.

Limpopo netball coach, Cecilia Molokwane, said you cannot force children to something they are not interested in.

She says by developing young players from grass roots level and providing the needed opportunities for them, new talent shines through naturally.

Molokwane says the money allocated from the departments of education and sport, arts and culture should be funnelled into development structures.

“The Limpopo netball team wants to compete in the national championships and I have to approach private companies for financial support.

“I would say the minister should rather start to clean his own house before looking at the houses (sports bodies) of other people,” she said.

Jack Senetla, manager of Limpopo Impala Cricket, says that the 60:40 race quota is too harsh.

“Transformation needs to start at grassroots level. We have various problems regarding development at rural schools.

“We had a discussion with the departments of education and sport, arts and culture. They want all the schools in Limpopo to play cricket, but they provide absolutely no facilities.

“At the moment the government does not offer any funding for transformation. The departments need to create facilities at rural schools. Government and sport federations need to work together for transformation to succeed,” he added.

“I feel that, with cricket, we are moving in the right direction, we have to select five players of colour of which three have to be black Africans for each team.

Eben Lingenfelder, principal and rugby coach at Curro Heuwelkruin, said Mbalula’s system is idealistic, but not practical to achieve.