South Africa government has pledged $4.4 million out of the country’s lottery fund to support South African Athletes in their Olympic quests, according to Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula. That is in addition to $10.2 million that the ministry of sport and recreation says it has paid out of this lottery money in the last three years.
Mbalula said what everyone was thinking upon announcing the funding boost: that the money was “an attempt to boost the morale of our teams.”
This is after a disappointing 2008 Olympics where they one only a single medal (a silver in the men’s long jump).
The SASCOC, South Africa’s governing body for Olympic sports, has put the country’s sport-wide goal at an ambitious 12 medals in London. That bodes well for swimmers, who have lamented about the lack of funding despite being one of South Africa’s more recognized sporting groups.
Among those named specifically as medal candidates by SASCOC president Gideon Sam were four swimmers:
- Cameron van der Burgh (100m Breast);
- Chad Ho (10 km Open Water);
- Chad le Clos (100/200 Fly; 200/400 IM);
- Heerden Herman (1500 Free)
Others, including super-sprinter Roland Schoeman probably feel like they belong on that list, but the point is that a lot of the $4.4 million designated specifically for the Olympics should see its way onto the pool deck.
