AN OLYMPIAN CHALLENGE

On the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Quo Vadis sport in South Africa

By Prof Marion Keim

As I am watching the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo at home on my TV, it takes me back to 1992, when I had the honour to be at the Games in Barcelona, Spain. It was at that Games where both former South African president Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu were present to promote the Olympic Truce and the Olympic Spirit, and where we celebrated SA’s return to the Olympic Games after many years of absenteeism due to apartheid.

It takes me back to August 2016, when the 31st Olympic Games were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the last Olympic Games before COVID-19 overran the world — and where millions of people assembled to watch the best athletes in the world compete. Amongst them were South African Mashiane had “shoes and socks but his partner ran barefoot, and [they] were chased by a dog for some distance”. The two South Africans finished the marathon ninth and 12th, respectively, and thus became the first black Africans to compete in the Olympics.

I think of two visionaries of the Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin and Nelson Mandela. Our field – the “sports field”– is where many sporting legends and stars enjoy universal popularity, however, few will be remembered for something bigger than a career in sport and even fewer leave a true legacy by using sport as a tool for more than a medal, more than entertainment. Instead, it is the latter handful of sportspeople who leave legacies of development, education, peace and unity that last for decades and even centuries.

Pierre de Coubertin and Nelson Mandela were such visionaries. The former is considered the Father of the modern Olympic Games; the latter, the Father of the nation of South Africa. Coubertin believed in the impact that sport can have, which led him to revive the Olympic Games and, with them, the idea of the Olympic Truce and “world peace”. Olympism was seen as a philosophy of life.

This vision of an Olympic Truce and world peace has often been seen as utopian hyperbole, however, Coubertin’s intention was to set an example for international unity. Years later, South Africa and Nelson Mandela

sensations Wayde van Niekerk, Mokgadi Caster Semenya, Luvo Manyonga, Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos – all of whom made childhood dreams come true.

It takes me back even further to my research about the Olympic Games, to St Louis in 1904 where two black South African runners, unknown to many, were the first Olympians representing South Africa at an Olympic Games event. It was the first worldwide Olympics held outside of Europe and the first to be part of the World Trade Fair, an international fair held to attract interest and investment, and where the two South Africans were employed. Those two South Africans were Jan Mashiane and Len Taunyane, who ran in the marathon with ordinary working shirts and knee-length trousers.

showed the world that, indeed, it was possible.

In the year of Coubertin’s 150th birthday, 2013, the world lost Nelson Mandela.

Madiba had been an inspiration in his lifetime and even through his passing, made people want to strive for what he had been passionate about and to contribute to his legacy for peaceful communities, a better society, and a more caring and humane world. He saw the potential of sport, the power of sport, and he consciously and actively contributed to sport playing a greater role in promoting peace, social transformation and democracy.

A year later, South Africa — as the only country from the global South — was elected as International Chair for Sport and Peace for the United Nation’s (UN) International Working Group for Sport, Development and Peace. This was followed by the country being elected as the Chair of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS, which is comprised of expert representatives in the field of physical education and sport from 18 member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

I reflect on the fact that South Africa, ironically and despite being such an enthusiastic sporting nation, is also the only African country who does not have Physical Education as a standalone subject in its schools. Imagine the positive impact of sport if every child in the country could have the benefit of physical education at school. Imagine the opportunities for sport and youth development, values education, identification of talent and, ultimately, participation in the Olympic Games.

However, due to the lack of physical education, the positive impact and opportunities of sport in South Africa — and for South Africa — is much more limited than in any other country.

In this vein, I reflect on the present looting and unrest in the country. I reflect on the latest devastating cricket testimonies of Paul Adams and others that highlight the discrimination and lack of transformation in Cricket South Africa, and the question of what role sport can play in and for South Africa and its diverse communities today.

We need a new dialogue, a dialogue that places real emphasis on values and transformation; not on only the word but also on the mindset and actions towards transformation. We need sustainable outcomes. We need dialogues on how sport can be deployed as a tool to strengthen social ties and networks, and to promote ideals of peace, solidarity, non-violence, tolerance and justice within our communities. We need dialogues on the impacts of sport and on the strategies that can be used in advancing sport as a tool for development and peace.

We also need dialogues on how we can promote values education, Olympism and physical education at the school level that contribute to both social development and social cohesion.

As we watch the Olympic Games, rejoicing in the triumphs of our South African and other athletes from around the world, with 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Team present, we can see that the Games — despite being different to those that came before them — can be a symbol of hope, a symbol of solidarity in trying times.

“Faster, higher, stronger... together” is the motto of the Olympics, as proclaimed by its president, Thomas Bach. In extraordinary times, we need extraordinary people like our Olympians. It is these extraordinary individuals who will promote the Olympic values of respect, joy of effort, fair play and friendship, together, and well beyond the sports field.

Yet the question remains: Can we do the same? Can we see the Olympic Games not as an event but as a way of life? Can we see the Olympic Games as a motivation, reminding us of the Olympic values and of our values, and how we can all be stronger together as families, communities, societies and as the world?

It is this feeling of togetherness that we need to nurture, to cherish and to promote.

Can we rise up to this challenge? Let’s take on this Olympic effort!

Prof Marion Keim is the Director of UWC’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD), and compiler and editor of uMama, a compilation of features on 40 South African leaders.