National Olympic Committee of South African

1. National Olympic Committee of South African Portfolio Committee Presentation 1

2. NOCSA Mandate • NOCSA is charged with the preparation and assembly of high performance athletes both Summer and Winter Olympic Games at every Olympiad. 2

3. Sydney – Strategy and Preparation • Planning for 2000 Sydney Games • Started in 1997 • Commonwealth Games 1998 • All Africa Games 1999 • Sports Codes on the Sydney Program • 28 sports • Qualification competitions • Nocsa financed all travel 3

4. Operation Excellence Programme • Operation Excellence Programme of preparation was instituted to distribute appropriate funding: • Level one – Potential Medallists • Level Two – Potential Finalists • Level Three - Potential Participants • All team sports • were given an annual grant of R60,000 • Special grants for qualification events • All probable participants were provided with monthly grants, medical and scientific testing and team travel grants. • NOCSA held training camps • Durban • Cape town 4

5. Selection Policy • Selection criteria for Sydney • Agreed unanimously by all federation – May 1998 • Prior to a Special General Meeting of Nocsa – April 1998 adopted the selection policy. • Levelling imbalances of the Past • Federation were advised since 1991 to accelerate the development of the historically disadvantage sector • That teams are representative of the demographics of our country • In fact, our team of 1992 Olympic Games • IOC request team to compose not only exclusively of the advantage sector • IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch made it clear to former President Nelson Mandela that the team must have athletes from the disadvantaged sector • Qualification for the Olympic Games • Quality criteria • Established standard measurers • Times,Distances, • Ranking, and • Elimination tournaments 5

6. Selection Policy • IOC Policy Caters for: • Quality • Ensure that the world best athletes participate in the Olympic Games • All the medallists and commendable performances comes from this group • Universality Criteria • Would guarantee that there is adequate representation at the Olympic games from all continents and provide the inspiration at the developing nations to develop athletes to greater performances in 2004 • South Africa being a member of the African continent is eligible to enter via general international qualification competitions and also through continental elimination tournaments. • Many Olympic sports in Africa are still at the developmental stage,while others enjoy an extremely high standard. 6

7. Selection Policy • This poses a serious dilemma for NOCSA • South African sport is highly developed; but because of the inequities of the apartheid, many of these sports are still dominated by Whites • It is therefore easy to exploit the Olympic qualification system and dominate our National Olympic Team with the previously advantaged sector of our society under the dubious banner of “merit” • This would be a blatant circumvention of the principle of qualification procedure established especially for developing countries so that they may identify athletes to develop their talents for future Olympic Games. • We respected the IOC policy with regard to universality and widespread participation. 7

8. Selection Policy • In our case this means transforming the demographic composition of our team • NOCSA policy is to encourage its sports teams to seek dialogue and contact with teams from Africa. • Assess the standard of play within Africa on a sport –by-sport basis. • This ensure appropriate and adequate competition and preparations of our teams – whether exclusive and developmental – for Olympic qualification. • Where the level and standard of competition is relatively low NOCSA’s selection should depend on the proportion of members of the disadvantage community in the South African Team. • This would represent universality within the South African context. • NOCSA as is the case with the IOC has ensured that our policy of universality will not, in any way, restrict high-level competition 8

9. Selection Policy • Principles that are not negotiable • Representation • Transformation 9

10. Final Selection and Preparation • Team selection was finalised in conjunction with each relevant National Federation • There was only one dispute – that of the non-selection of the men’s hockey team because they did not meet qualification criteria • According to IOC regulations, a National Federations may appeal to the IOC Executive Board through their appropriate International Federations. • The International Hockey Federation submitted an appeal on behalf of the South African Hockey Association. • The IOC held a hearing and upheld the decision of NOCSA • All members of the Olympic team undertook extensive competition preparation. • NOCSA made available psychologists for counselling – many took advantage of this facility 10

11. Drug Testing • NOCSA policy is to ensure that no athlete brings disgrace to our country by being caught in underhand activity. • NOCSA ensures all its athletes are drug-free and that their performances are not tainted by the use of performance enhancing substances • All Olympic Team athletes undergo mandatory drug testing. • One potential medallist was left out of the team because he was penalised for a drug offence a year before the Games. • Although his six-month suspension had been completed well in advance of the Games – he was not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. 11

12. Result in Sydney • Sydney Olympic Games are now a matter of record and we can honestly say that the South African Team performed well • Of course our public expected more that a fistful of medals • South African are passionate about our sport • Therefore hardly surprised that almost everyone entered the debate about the performance of our Olympic Team in Sydney. 12

13. Medal Incentive Scheme • Vodacom incentive scheme • Gold Medal - One Million Rand • Sliver Medal - Five Hundred Thousand Rand • Bronze Medal – Two hundred Thousand Rand 13

14. Performance Evaluation - Sydney • It vital to establish the fact that our Olympic Team in Sydney did South Africa proud in the face of remarkably improved world standards. Consider: • Never before in the history of South African participation in the Olympic Games(during and post apartheid) have members of the team qualified for 28 finals. This is a proud new record. • In the process several new African and South African records were set. • For the first time South Africa reached the finals of three rowing and two in canoeing events; • Many of these performances would have been good enough to win medals in Atlanta but in Sydney resulted in non-medal positions; • NOCSA sent more professional coaches to Sydney than ever before; • None of our athletes tested positive in the many doping evaluations done by the IOC. • We returned with five medals – three short of our anticipated count – but no gold. • In doing so South Africa was one of the only 70 out of 199 countries that won medals, and only one of 41 to win five medals or more 14

15. Macro Environment • Disparate structures competing to assemble and prepare multi coded sports teams • Lack of coherent medical and scientific support • Lack of coherent training, assessment preparation programme • Lack of maximisation funding raising and inefficient utilisation of limited resources • Lack of adequate government funding 15

16. Way Forward Athens 2004 Strategy • The above stated problems require urgent attention • Consider NOCSA’s responsibility to evaluate our Performance at the games and to plan proactively • Consolidate the growth we have seen and ensure active development programmes continue, with the eye on Athens 2004 and on other International Games. • Levels of preparation of athletes from other countries has improved substantially. • Australian spent Aus$800 million on preparing its team – about R3.3 Billion 16

17. Way Forward Athens 2004 Strategy • Since NOCSA, in tandem with the National Federations of various sports, is charged with the selection and preparations of the South African Olympic Team, it is determined that our performance should improve every four years. (more medals) • Better performance, improved coaching and committed ongoing clean administration. • Seeking sufficient funding to ensure all teams and their support staff are appropriately prepared for the grueling and unique event 17

18. Way Forward Athens 2004 Strategy • Operation Excellence Programme is already under way for Athens 2004 ,but is currently under review in consultation with the National Federations. • We are negotiating with other Olympic partners and countries in acquiring coaching and technical expertise of the highest level. 18

19. Olympic Foundation • The establishment of the Olympic Foundation was a most positive step • Top Class South African Businessmen driving the fundraising campaign . • Enabling greater support from the corporate sector 19

20. Conclusion The Stage is set now to encourage all stakeholders – Government, National Federations, administrators, corporate sponsors and the private sector – to contribute in a spirit of going forward in the interest of the country’s sporting ambitions 20