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THE LUNCH AND RECEPTION OF
SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL TEAMS
23 SEPTEMBER 2011
Sandton Sun
Mr. Gert C. Oosthuizen, MP
Deputy Minister of Sport and
Recreation SA
Programme Director,
Minister of Sport and Recreation, Mr
Fikile Mbalula
The President of SASCOC, Mr
Gideon Sam
The 1st Vice President of SASCOC,
Ms. Hajera Kajee
The 2nd Vice President of SASCOC,
Mr. Les Williams
The Media
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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.
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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.
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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 SASCOC for the
team preparation and delivery in
these multi-coded competitions.
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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.
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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.
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This is also a historic occasion as it
marks the 1st 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.
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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 08 and 09 September,
managed by the 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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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