Mbalula needed to fix Olympic anomaly

Greg Frederick, the 2010 Fifa World Cup Legacy Trust head is reported by the Independent on Sunday's newspaper's Injury Time column to have written a letter to Cricket South Africa's acting president Willie Basson, expressing his concerns about a whole range of issues.

Frederick is alleged to have accused Basson of, among other things, "undermining efforts to transform the sport of cricket. Frederick, a former Director in the Sports ministry, is alleged to have written in the letter that he was "extremely concerned, disappointed and angry at what he sees emerging in Cricket South Africa today."

"I had so much belief and confidence in you," Frederick allegedly adds in the letter, "but I do not know to what extent you are involved in the day-to-day decisions in CSA. I cannot be silent anymore." Frederick allegedly claims there were "old regime forces" trying to work their way back into cricket administration to impose their agenda.

The letter flies straight into the face of a sudden resignation by CSA acting CEO Jacques Faul. No doubt what is happening within cricket is of great concern to a great number of people, particularly followers of the game since the enquiry into alleged maladministration and the self awarding of bonuses by individuals within the organisation s instituted.

It also follows the alleged retirement of 25-year old leading South African woman sprinter - Tsholofelo Thipe - after she was left out of the final London Olympic squad. Thipe had run countless A standard qualifying races, but she failed to make the cut.

I have always been concerned about our inability and lack of producing quality sprinters in this country since the olden days of Johan Fourie and Tshakile Ndzimande. But when we finally do, we kick them in the shins despite their incredible potential.

Simon Magakwe, Lebogang Moeng, Thuso Mpuang have all clocked some incredible, if not impressive times to justify being included in the traveling squad. But I am saddened and gutted by the lack of flexibility by our selectors in making what looks like weird choices.

What really boggles the mind is the fact that Magakwe out-sprinted fellow athlete Lehann Fourie not once, not twice but at least four times, and yet the latter has been included in the traveling party to London.

It has also come to my notice that weight lifter, 31- year-old Greg Shushu put enough effort to meet all the qualifying criteria. But once again you could have knocked me down with a feather when he was dropped, ostensibly because he was too old!

Really? How old is old? If you set a standard and no one except a determined 31-year-old meets your requirements, how do you then take away this opportunity from him and hand it over to someone who failed dismally to come anywhere close to meeting your requirements?

And in his qualifying time, the powers that be have instead included 22-year old Jean Greeff, allegedly because they feel the latter has age on his side, something they claim will enable him to also compete in the 2016 Olympic Games.

For heaven sake, why bend the rules to accommodate a failure, simply because they feel he will be around in four years time? How do they honestly know that for sure? How do they know that (God forbid) he does not break his arm, wrist, leg but will definitely be around for the next Olympics?

Who exactly is making all these weird and bizarre calls? I mean, last week President Jacob Zuma and the ruling ANC called a three day conference on Social Cohesion but it has been in my view been an exercise in futility if our sports leaders are going to apply the rules differently to different athletes.

I think the time has come for Sports minister Fikile Mbalula to be brought into the fray and let him look at each case on it's merit and I trust his judgement in this matter more than some of our so-called blinkered sports administrators who have terribly failed our country in it's hour of need.