Article: Mbalula happy with Olympics performance

I think there was a comparison between investment in athletes and amount of medals returned and South Africa came out pretty high there...cos we invest niks in our sports. We really should be able to compete in the medium-long distance running, and many of the field events. We produce a lot of people with the perfect build for discus and hammer throw. And having guys training at altitude should give us a huge advantage in anything over 800m.
 
Guantanamo said:
I think there was a comparison between investment in athletes and amount of medals returned and South Africa came out pretty high there...cos we invest niks in our sports. We really should be able to compete in the medium-long distance running, and many of the field events. We produce a lot of people with the perfect build for discus and hammer throw. And having guys training at altitude should give us a huge advantage in anything over 800m.
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The Australians said the more money you put in the more medals you get out.

Sad thing is, South Africa is blessed with naturally gifted sportsmen and women. I believe if we could invest in and run all of our sports as we do cricket and rugby, we'd be slappin' biatches and takin' names all day, errday.

If they opened a boxing academy in the Eastern Cape, Cuba could forget about it. The EC was once upon a time a production line for fine boxers. Our Afrikaner boytjies should excel at most high-strength/power disciplines. As you mentioned, we should be able to compete with the East Africans when it comes to middle and long distance. The fact that our hockey sides even made the Olympics on their shoestring budget and amid constant political wrangling tells me we'd run the Aussies/Dutch/Argies close if on level footings. Our swimmers are already good, but imagine if we could supply them with the training and funding of America and Australia?
 
thestaggy said:
The Australians said the more money you put in the more medals you get out.

Sad thing is, South Africa is blessed with naturally gifted sportsmen and women. I believe if we could invest in and run all of our sports as we do cricket and rugby, we'd be slappin' biatches and takin' names all day, errday.
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The sad thing is very few people are interested in other sports besides rugby, cricket & soccer. That's what get's the most spectators/viewers and that's where all the advertising and money goes.
 
ponder said:
The sad thing is very few people are interested in other sports besides rugby, cricket & soccer. That's what get's the most spectators/viewers and that's where all the advertising and money goes.
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And at school level nobody is chased around a field anymore.
How would you know you can run fast, throw a spear, jump high or far if you were not forced to do it once or twice?
PT Was never a bad idea.
 
They don't even offer any of the field disciplines at the school I went to. There is athletics but we didn't have the space for a track. No Javelin, High Jump, Shotput, Hammerthrow, Long Jump, Triple Jump...nothing. I really would have liked to give a couple of those a shot. I reckon I could have been a decent Javelin thrower, I have a good arm in cricket.
 
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