Round Number Two . . . Ding!!

I have no idea what it is that Sascoc does (let alone what it stands for) I intend to find out soon but in the meantime, who on earth are they? I read somewhere that they (speaking through their fearless leader) one Moss Mashishi, have decided to sever ties with the parliamentary sports portfolio committe. I ask once again, who are they?

Mr Mashishi, in underpinning Sascoc's decision to dissociate itself with the parliamentary committee, says that the head of the portfolio committee has lost sense of the limit of his powers or some english to that effect. Funny that because I thought that it would be opportune at this point for Sascoc to review its own limits of power. Something like whether or not they may be held in contempt and so on.

What seems to have annoyed Sascoc is the statement by the head of the parliamentary committee to the effect that Sascoc is full of Indians and Whites who do not have an understanding of transformation; or something of that sort. It is for this reason that Sascoc believes that the head of the portfolio committee should check his powers. Now let's see, what is the representation of Indians and Whites in Sascoc? By whom and how are they elected? To do what?

These are all interesting questions. The one question that has me completely stumped is, how come there is proportionally such big representation of Indian people in sport yet such small representation of Indian sportspersons? Not to mention the small representation of Indian people among the citizenry? Do you remember Sam Ramsamy, whatever happened to him, what were his extend of power - is he not the gentlemen who decided that hockey players will not be allowed to go to some olympic games, I think because of their composition or performance or both, I can't remember.

Of course the number of Indians, Whites or Chinese is not and cannot be the end of the matter, it is only the beginning. It may well be that these are the people or groups that care about sport enough to make time to go to the meetings and to get appointed to the positions that they hold. I am sure a good debate with the parliamentary committee would have served more purpose than the current name-calling and sulking.

Looking around the country there is sufficient evidence that our sport is in shambles with a few splendid exceptions. This weekend, Port Elizabeth came to some sort of a standstill when the two Greys, PE and Bloem clashed on the rugby field. There were reportedly some 10 000 spectators, at a schoolboy rugby game. Seeing all those people, listening to the passion and the screaming, I realised that this was the source of rugby talent in the country. Maybe Sascoc could do something about getting the township schools more organised in sport and that way have the old rivalries of AB Phokompe, Kelokitso, Orlando West, Tlokwe High School, Matlosane, etc back.

Parents used to pack school grounds to watch some of the great rival schools play soccer.

I miss those days. Not that I played soccer or anything like that. I played tennis, I did not quite like the smell of other guys' sweat and the way the would fall on you or touch you. I don't quite like the state of SA sport at the moment and wish that the portfolio committee would crack the whip and show who's the chief.