The future of South African sport really is in good hands. Right at the very top there are people who care. They’re passionate and they are working tirelessly to ensure that the country’s sporting structures and systems are put in place to ultimately stand the test of time.
By GARY LEMKE in Tokyo
Before Akani Simbine gets ready for his next challenge – in his case playing the role of talisman in South Africa’s 4x100m relay squad later this week – he needs to look at himself in the mirror.
Ever seen The Truman Show? On the second day of waking up in the Olympic village in Tokyo it dawned on me. Through the fog of jetlag and a near 30-hour journey across seven time zones I felt a bit like Truman Burbank, writes GARY LEMKE.
Perhaps it’s the nature of the beast but most casual sports observers will have a look at the final medals table and form an opinion on whether or not Team SA’s Olympics was a success or not. It’s understandable, but also short-sighted and a reaction tailor made for the world of social media.
Tokyo looms, again, We don’t know for sure in what shape of form the Olympics and Paralympics will take place in July to September and if anything 2020 taught us to take nothing for granted. What we do know is that if Tokyo 2020 +1 does go ahead, it will do so against a new-found back drop where simply taking part means as much as winning gold, silver or bronze. Perhaps that’s what the Olympics founder, Baron De Coubertin, would have wanted.
Over the recent past while I heard the whispers. Most of the time what a high-profile athlete does in their private time has nothing to do with us. Except when it’s someone that we care for deeply. Then we should be talking about it. It’s okay to talk, writes GARY LEMKE.
The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until next year will undoubtedly have different effects on those athletes and teams who were in the running to represent Team SA this July, writes GARY LEMKE.