Whos' worse?

[Sean Badenhorst]

Dirtbreath, you can't group the Olympic sports with rugby, cricket and soccer. Most Olympic sports aren't professional, well, not in the same category as rugby, cricket and soccer.

 

PPWTF, the only way to improve is for the government to want to improve our sporting performances. That way support will be increased to the sports associations. But unfortunately, we are a country with a lot more serious problems than poor sporting performances. Money and support will continue to be channeled in those directions with sporting success being a 'nice to have'...

 

What sport can only hope for now is for big business to get involved just like it has with the fight against crime. Politics will remain a limiting factor though. As a journalist, I have covered many Olympic sports over the years and I'm afraid that the highest percentage of the dumbest humans I have ever interacted with are employed in sports administration in South Africa.

 

[Sean Badenhorst]

 

 

I think we'll get one' date=' two maybe even three medals in Beijing ? Malaudzi in the 800m, Nhlapo in the BMX and maybe, just maybe, Ramaala can finish the Games on a good note with a medal in the men's marathon...

See, I'm very optimistic!

[/quote']

 

Yes, if you think Ramaala can get a medal you are the most optimistic person I know. he has never impressed me as medal material.

 

And that is exactly why I think he's got a chance! Always one big surprise from the SA team at the Olympics. I'm banking on Ramaala for the 2008 surprise.

 

[Austin]

Dirtbreath' date=' you can't group the Olympic sports with rugby, cricket and soccer. Most Olympic sports aren't professional, well, not in the same category as rugby, cricket and soccer.


What sport can only hope for now is for big business to get involved just like it has with the fight against crime. Politics will remain a limiting factor though. As a journalist, I have covered many Olympic sports over the years and I'm afraid that the highest percentage of the dumbest humans I have ever interacted with are employed in sports administration in South Africa.
[/quote']

 

The National Cycling team has never had spare road equipment( e.g. spare bicycles, spare TT bikes, proper wheels, etc) and they recently had the oppertunity to secure something like this and more( in terms of athlete preparation). Some forward thinkers were backing this big time, but it has taken some of those "well informed individuals" as mentioned by you Sean to derrail this again.....

 

And the politics take the lead again...

[Chunky]

Dirtbreath' date=' you can't group the Olympic sports with rugby, cricket and soccer. Most Olympic sports aren't professional, well, not in the same category as rugby, cricket and soccer.


What sport can only hope for now is for big business to get involved just like it has with the fight against crime. Politics will remain a limiting factor though. As a journalist, I have covered many Olympic sports over the years and I'm afraid that the highest percentage of the dumbest humans I have ever interacted with are employed in sports administration in South Africa.
[/quote']

 

The National Cycling team has never had spare road equipment( e.g. spare bicycles, spare TT bikes, proper wheels, etc) and they recently had the oppertunity to secure something like this and more( in terms of athlete preparation). Some forward thinkers were backing this big time, but it has taken some of those "well informed individuals" as mentioned by you Sean to derrail this again.....

 

And the politics take the lead again...

 

With the right system in place, South African cycling could be just like the british in a matter of 5 to 8 years.

[PPWTF]

 

totally agree chunky and sean - corporate sponsorship, cycling specific deal, cut off the interference from outside, build an elite environment for elite athletes - I'd have said 10 years, Dav Brailsford has said he's surprised by the rapid rate of fruition of the UK project. Thing to note is that there is already a generation of younger athletes emerging from withing the system, not just a few big names at the top of the tree, as in Chris Boardmans' day....

 

PPWTF2008-08-17 11:35:55

[Austin]

ye. well I am planning going to the top with my guys, with or without CSA...just wish it could have been a nationwide thing...

[linnega]

Johnny Koen mentioned something about Nolan committing to track for 2012?  Any big plans for Nolan in particular?

[Austin]

Lots of plans afoot... ask around on the 7th of Sept.. the day after the Silveback 09 launch...I(we) will not be stopping here and the progression will continue with partners who have the same will to succeed...

[David #7]

Lots of plans afoot... ask around on the 7th of Sept.. the day after the Silveback 09 launch...I(we) will not be stopping here and the progression will continue with partners who have the same will to succeed...

 

Good on you Austin, the work you do with your youngsters is awesome. Glad you have found partners with the same will to succeed as yourselves.

[Dirtbreath]

Sean, you are right in that sports and amateur/professional athletes are different. Maybe that is why it is harsh to compare the two as per this thread.

 

My neighbour is in Beijing as part of the archery team (2 of them) and boy has she worked hard. They are up against it every step of the way and guvument/administration seem to try to trip up anyone wherever possible.

 

Our situation on the world sports stage is too unique for an elite athletics training system to achieve the desired results. We have the talent but not the professionalism to achieve consistent world-class performances. I wish all the privateers who support the cause the best of luck but boy, imagine what you could achieve if you had the unilateral support of the sporting bodies.

[Slowbee]

anyone know what happened with the 11 million "office" that was meant to be set up to promote SA (just caught the headlines so not sure of the details).

 

 

 

[Tumbleweed]

you think we're hard on our athletes? check this out:

 

 

 

A mere bronze? How the medal fanatics of Chinese state TV ...
Daily Mail, UK - 16 Aug 2008
By Ian Gallagher Pity poor Tan Zongliang, the latest victim of China Central Television?s relentless demand for perfection. Before its interrogators got to ...

[Tumbleweed]

also from the daily mail. how's this? not something you hear every day: other sports can learn from cycling:

 

SHE swapped a boat for a bike and traded silver for gold. Now Rebecca Romero is urging the whole of British sport to follow the cycling team's golden tyre tracks all the way to London 2012.
'Everybody can learn from what we do,' she said. 'We have a system that everyone should replicate. I've been involved in two top sports, cycling and rowing, and there is no comparison. This is a world apart.
'British sport should model itself on us. The country is not going to dominate at the London Olympics otherwise.'

[2 X 2]

I am not going to give my opinion on the cycling at the Olimpics, because I am not a expert on cycling matters

 

For the Rugby, I think if the Boks focussed more on the game instead of Percy's 100th game, they could have won.

[pastapouch]

I'd say the Boks are worse, they get paid more so they should perform better. The Olympic athletes don't get close to rugby salaries and are mostly financing themselves and have to work/study and then train after hours.

[mon-goose]

even with bad results de villiers will be there for a while

 

I was listening to some of his comments after the recent games and I'm sorry but he does nothing to inspire me.

 

After the one game we lost he said something like this (this is my summary of his words) "We're just happy to be playing here and aren't too concerned with winning"

 

Then after beating the all blacks he said something like this (again my interpretation) "we'll never play this well again.

 

I'd like to see boby skinstad as coach, despite what you may think he'll do well