Cameroon’s success story in World Cup football matches in Italy and Africa’s commendable performance in the Seoul Olympics in 1988 (of the Kenyan athletes in particular are two events that will ginger up sports in the African continent.

In Africa, it is the people under the racist regime in South Africa who are the greatest lovers of sports men and women of all races. South Africa’s squabble climate is conducive to the development of all kind: of sports throughout the year, and its per capita allocation for sports is by far the highest in the African continent,

But for almost two decades South Africa has been isolated in the international sports ‘arena and remains expelled from the Olympics, the Davis Cup, international cricket, football, hockey and other games as punishment for pursuing a policy of racism in sports. This isolation hurts both white and black South Africans,

BOYCOTTS

In 1974 India refused to play against racist South Africa in the Davis Cup final. That was the first time in the history, of Davis Cup that the final was not played and the cup was awarded to South Africa by default. No one there relished that victory. India made a great sacrifice by voluntarily giving up its chances of winning the coveted cup for the first time,

In 1976 Mexico ordered their team not to meet South Africa in the North Amen ‘can zonal finals. India and other nonaligned countries were thrilled when the International Tennis Federation ordered South Africa to withdraw from the Davis Cup in 1978, but it made many in South Africa sad.

Today, winds of change are blowing across South Africa, The release of Nelson Mandela, lifting of a ban on political organ isations and the start of the Pretoria regime’s negotiations with the African National Congress (ANC) have roused hopes, as never before, of an early end to apartheid and the birth of a nonracial, democratic South Africa,

While political leaders of all hues are talking politics, sportsmen and sports Organisers are demanding genuine nonracial sport even before apartheid gets demolished, There is a universal demand in the country that South Africa should no more remain excommunicated from international sports events

SOCCER INTEREST

Interestingly, the 1990 World Cup has provided a role model for nonracial sport. South Africans of all races are confidently talking of their country taking part in the next World Cup. Indeed they say south ‘Africa could well become the first African country to host the World Cup.

South Africans were greatly excited seeing the World Cup football matches live in their living rooms with basic political changes in the offing in South Africa, the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), the global football controlling body, gave permission to South African television to screen matches played in Italy. Millions remained glued to their TV sets to watch the fabulous bonanza from Italy. During the matches, vehicular traffic became very thin in the normally crowded roads of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

The exploits of Cameroon and Egypt were being praised in the homes of both black and white communities of that segregated country. The whites in South Africa today feel more akin to the “Lions” of Cameroon than to Argentina or even Holland, It is worth nothing that while Nelson Mandela and the ANC are calling for continuance of sanctions against South Africa, neither the ANC nor any of the factions fighting apartheid opposed FIFA’S decision to grant television rights to South Africa a sign of changing times in sports in South Africa.

South Africa Soccer League’s Abdul Bhamjee, of Indian origin, who brought the World Cup live on TV in this football crazy country, eels that South Africa has to do two things to play in the next World Cup: “First, we must unify our football bodies, which still show some divisions on racial lines, and we must see an end 10 apartheid legislation.” Bhamiee feels that this could be done in the next 12 months, the deadline for application to participate in the qualifying stages of the 1994 World Cup.

MULTIRACIAL TEAM

But the fact is that there is very little apartheid in football in that country. Kaiser Chiefs South Africa’s most successful football team, is a multiracial one. Out of 11 top players, only four are whites. “We all train together, travel together, we stay in hotel rooms together. The only thing that keeps us apart is where we live”, said a senior member of the team.

‘A Peruvian, Augusto Palacios, who played for his country in the 1978 and 1982

World Cups, is the manager of Kaiser Chief, He thinks a large number of South Africans have international level football potential, They may not have the artistry of the South Americans, but they are thoroughly professional in straight ball skills, Palacios feels.

South Africa has money and infrastructure for football and other sports. Some of the world’s best stadia are to be found there. It has the capacity to build a number of new stadia adequate for the World Cup if it comes to South Africa,

KRIS NAIDOO

To get rehabilitated in FIFA, the South African government will need the backing of the ANC. Kris Naidoo of the National Sports Congress is the key figure in sports in South Africa. It was this man, of Indian origin, who torpedoed last January the tour of the English rebel cricketers led by Mike Gatting: He has given hints of taking South Africa back into international football. He finds the political developments in his country helpful to the removal of racism from sports,

After football, it could be the turn of cricket and tennis. The London based South African Nonracial Olympic Committee, an alley of the ANC, is already sending out feelers to international sports bodies for taking South Africa out of the sports boycott.

In the next few years South Africa will no doubt be a ginat in African sports meets and will make a mark in international competitions. That will be one positive image of post-apartheid South Africa,

Article extracted from this publication >> September 21, 1990