Programme Director,
Minister of Sport and Recreation, Mr Fikile Mbalula
The President of SASCOC, Mr Gideon Sam
The first Vice President of SASCOC, Ms Hajera Kajee
The second Vice President of SASCOC, Mr Les Williams
The Media
Officials of Sport and Recreation South Africa
Officials of SASCOC
Dignitaries and athletes
Ladies and gentlemen
A very good day to you!
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this celebratory reception and luncheon that has been arranged to acknowledge and appreciate the resounding successes of so many of our National Teams in single and multi-coded international events. Athletes, you have given us every reason to be proud and to brag about your victories in so many major events around the world.
Just over a fortnight ago, the SA Angling Team returned to our shores with a historic victory at the World Angling Championships in Italy. It was historic because it was the first time that any South African National Team became the world champions for four years in a row. Let us applaud this team and their remarkable victory.
Last week our Commonwealth Youth Team returned from the Isle of Man with a remarkable third position overall. I am told that several of our athletes performed exceptionally well at these games. They too deserve a hearty applause.
Earlier this week, our victorious Team South Africa returned from the All Africa Games in Maputo with an outstanding first position for the third time. Team SA lead the medal table with 62 Gold, 55 Silver, and 40 Bronze - giving us a total of 157 medals. I am told that our athletes not only performed exceptionally well but also conducted themselves like true ambassadors of our country there were no incidents reported. A round of applause to Team SA again! I would like to place on record our sincere thanks and appreciation to South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)for the team preparation and delivery in these multi-coded competitions.
I am sure our whole nation is riding the crest of the wave with our Springboks victories at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. We held our breath throughout the first game last week against Wales where the Boks won by a narrow one point difference.
Then last week we also convincingly defeated Fiji, and this week we treated our good neighbours Namibia with respect on the field with an overwhelming victory. Please join me in congratulating the Springboks and wishing them everything of the best for the rest of their journey to defending their World Cup title and bringing home the Web Ellis Cup.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have had successes of the field as well. Just yesterday, we held a grand launch and media briefing session for the SA Games in Polokwane.
I can inform you that we have a good and hard working LOC, and all the necessary preparations are in place; the facilities, accommodation and transport etc have been all been arranged.
All are welcome to attend and are excited to host these Games as they will bring in much excitement, social cohesion and economic spin-offs for their province and region.
Ladies and gentlemen, we hosted very successful South African evenings at our Ekhaya in New Zealand and Maputo.
This is also a historic occasion as it marks the first time that South Africa has hosted an Ekhaya at the All Africa Games and a single coded World Cup. Ekhaya is our hospitality program known as our “Home Away from Home”. It is amongst others, a tool that uses sport to showcase our country. Hence, you would have felt a very strong sense of Brand South Africa.
Ekhaya is a programme led by Sport and Recreation South Africa in partnership with Brand South Africa, and partners such as our sister Departments of Trade and Industry, Arts and Culture, Tourism, SASCOC, and many others.
Our Ekhayas have generated a great deal of excitement for all South Africans visiting them. The athletes and players have been full of praise and have overwhelmingly supported the concept. We successfully hosted business forums on 8 and 9 September, managed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and they were very happy with the meetings that took place. We already have advanced plans to host our Ekhaya at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
These victories and successes are a remarkable accolade for South Africa. We just have so many things happening in our sport right now and in the near future. We must be doing something right, Minister!
Ladies and gentlemen, to continue building on past success, we need a strategy and action plan. We will therefore be holding our National Sport and Recreation Indaba in November at Gallagher Estate. We trust that once the Sport Plan is approved, with your excitement, hard work and dedication, we can raise the bar further and lead the world as true world champions.
It is now my honour to introduce to you our Minister of Sport and Recreation, Mr Fikile Mbalula. He is a man who really needs no introduction, as he has become a household figure since his appointment last year in the world of Sport and Recreation and perhaps entertainment. He is better known to all of us as Mr Razmatazz.
As you are aware, he gave the Springboks their marching orders at their farewell here in Sandton Square a fortnight ago, and look at the impact. Never before has our nation united behind our national team in such great numbers and with such great passion.
Minister Mbalula has indeed brought in a fresh approach to how we manage sport and recreation in the Country. He has a vision in his Roadmap for Sporting Excellence and Performance. He has been working hard at transforming our sport system in the country to address the six priority areas he identified as requiring urgent attention and quick wins.
He has provided us with his own strong brand of leadership, and has helped to cement our sporting relations with several countries abroad.
He has also insisted that athletes, teams and our legends be acknowledged. He recently hosted the Sport Awards Ceremony that still has the country talking. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Minister Mbalula.
Speech by Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation SA Mr Gert C Oosthuizen, MP at the lunch and reception of successful national teams at Sandton Sun
