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Two events on almost opposite ends of the world – and yet both could have big repercussions on sport in South Africa.
The one was a warning by Fifa, football’s world governing body, telling Iraq’s Olympic Committee to reinstate the national football association board it had dissolved or face suspension.
The similarity with what’s happening at home is frighteningly similar. The SA Olympic Committee, Sascoc, has suspended the board of Athletics SA (ASA) and on Monday finally moved into the federation’s headquarters to take over. Read More…
How do you plead?
It’s now just past noon on Wednesday – the deadline given to Leonard Chuene and his Athletics SA board to quit or face criminal charges.
As far as I know, Chuene hasn’t resigned, not that I thought he would.
But let’s see if charges are filed and if there’s any prosecution in the future.
Leonard Chuene looking to the future?
FINAL CALL FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ASA TO RESIGN
9 November 2009
On 30 September 2009 three of ASA’s member provinces called upon the Board of Athletics South Africa to explain why they did not disclose from the outset that tests had been conducted, on ASA’s instruction, on a South African athlete before the World Championships in Athletics; why the ASA Council meeting in Tshwane was not notified of this fact; why the ASA members were not notified that they had not been told the truth before the press conference was held on 19 September 2009 and to disclose what other facts, if any, they had been concealing. Read More…
Chris Arreola was in tears straight after his loss to Vitali Klitschko
Heavyweight challenger Chris Arreola has been banned for six months by the WBC – for swearing after his stoppage loss to world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in September.
Apparently he was so emotional afterwards that the profanities just flowed during a post-fight interview.
One wonders if Fifa will take a similar hard-line stance on Argentina soccer coach Diego Maradona, who let loose at critical journalists after his team managed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
The most prolific swearer in boxing circles (that I know of) is Johannesburg-based trainer Nick Durandt, who can occasionally be heard swearing at his boxers in the corner on live television. He’s never been suspended. Personally, swearing doesn’t offend me, but that doesn’t mean that other people won’t be offended.
Even so, I think six months is an over-reaction for something that is common in many Hollywood movies. Perhaps many of those movies are rated for 18-yearolds or up, but then again, you have to be 18 to become a professional boxer (at least here in South Africa).
If the WBC really want to get back to old-fashioned virtues, they should start by promoting the idea of single champions for every weight division!
This vuvuzela is no match for Butana Komphela
There was an old man called Komphela
With a mouth like a big vuvuzela
He used all his power
To make people cower
A stupid yet dangerous fella!
Bye bye Bafana
There was an old coach called Joel
Whose team couldn’t score a goal
But he took the blame
For a side that’s lame
Now he’s back in Brazil on the dole
Hey there, Mr Governator ... you want a piece of me?
According to Peter McAllister in his book “Manthropolgy”, any Neanderthal woman would have beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger at arm-wrestling. Click here to read the full story.
Fascinating stuff. Imagine seeing boxers, at their peaks, like George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Jack Dempsey and Rocky Marciano – let alone Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather – getting blown away by your average caveman!!!
Presumably our physical decline has coincided with an intellectual growth, although I know some people, especially politicians and sports administrators, who make me think otherwise.
There’s not much of school work I can remember, but one that stands out was the Starndard Seven lessons on Nazi Germany, the rise of Adolf Hitler and one of humanity’s worst dictatorships.
It was fascinating stuff, but I couldn’t comprehend how people could blindly follow a man without showing a sign of rational thinking. The lesson we were supposed to be learning back then is to ensure that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
The supporters of Leonard Chuene and Julius Malema could do with a crash course on the rise of Nazism, although they seem to have perfected it already. A meeting by athletes was disrupted at the weekend, and a critic of Chuene emailed me claiming he received a threatening phone call last week. Coincidence or not, but a Nedbank branch in Randburg caught fire this (Monday) morning.
Can’t Chuene see the divisions being caused by his decision to stay?
I hope this matter is resolved permanently soon – surely it can’t continue like this!
In the latest revelation in the ongoing Caster Semenya fiasco, Debora Patta reported on Third Degree on Tuesday night that Leonard Chuene had in fact wanted to withdraw the 800m runner from competing in Berlin, but he had been persuaded to keep her in the race by a politician.
She didn’t name the politician.
Surely it is imperative for Parliament to find out who this dastardly, disgusting politician is who has disgraced his (or her) nation, and then fire his (or her) sorry ass!!!
Hopefully MPs will hunt down and out the idiot.
If Leonard Chuene is ousted as Athletics SA (ASA) president, the big question is: who will take over from him?
The real question, of course, is who SHOULD take over from him. The name of Banele Sindani, ASA’s former CEO, has been tossed into the ring, but I would suggest he is not fit to take over. Nor is anyone who sits on the ASA board, nor the presidents of the provincial athletics structures. Many of them are Chuene cronies.
ASA needs to be swept clean of the Chuene administration.
I would suggest that some former athletes of high standing – Bruce Fordyce, Matthews Temane, Elana Meyer and Danie Malan are some options – should form a commitee to replace the board on a caretaker basis, while the clubs around the country get together to vote in new provincial leaders who in turn would vote for a new ASA executive.
During this caretaker role, a complete audit of the Chuene regime must be undertaken to examine the veracity of the many accusations that have been levelled against the president and the way he ran his empire.
There was a report in a newspaper this morning claiming that Sindani could become the new president, but I find that hard to believe considering he is not an elected official within ASA structures. He is a consultant to ASA – his salary is kept quiet – and he was employed by Chuene. He and Chuene have fallen out before, but the last I know they were working together. Sindani is not the man to save athletics.
Of course, it’ll be interesting to see what happens at Thursday’s ASA council meeting. Many people are expecting Chuene to get the boot, but given that the majority of council members are his supporters, it’s maybe not a foregone conclusion.
