The Minister of Sport and Recreation, Rev Makhenkesi Stofile asked delegates at the 2010 SASReCon sport science conference held in Durban to use sport science to help address gender imbalances in gender in sport.
He gave this message in his opening address at the conference during August, South Africa’s Women’s Month.
This year’s edition of the SASRecon conference a flagship project of SRSA is the first attended by both the Minister and Deputy Ministers of sport and recreation, pointing to the growing importance of the conference in the South African sports environment.
Preceding the Minister’s address, the Deputy Minister of Sport, Mr Gert Oosthuizen also acknowledged South Africa’s women in his opening message.
He also said that South Africa was now a ‘hosting superpower’ after the recent 2010 FIFA World Cup, but had to follow that up by unearthing athlete talent – the latter being the realm of sport science.
In light of the conference’s theme ‘Sport, Recreation and Physical Education – An Essential Triad’ - the Minister spent much time in his speech calling for the full return of physical education as part of the school curriculum.
He lamented the apathy of teachers towards school sport, and called on teachers to share their expertise, and to take up their role of organising and providing physical activities for children in schools.
He also said that physical education to be part of the national and international 1Goal campaign, which promotes education for children not attending school.
However he also stressed that sport was competing with many other issues, and that a compelling case had to be made for the inclusion of physical activity in schools, and the financing and organising of sport on local and national level.
The Minister also praised the role South African sport scientists played in the return of Caster Semenya to international athletics.
Source: Sport Recreation South Africa
