In an historic moment last weekend the wheelchairs and cameras rolled in unison as the first fully sponsored and televised sports event for the disabled got under way, writes Julian Drew
THERE was an extra edge to the tension among the players as they warmed up for the first round of the SuperSport Wheelchair Basketball Series at the Mandeville Sports Centre in Johannesburg at the weekend. There was an extra buzz in the crowd too as a group of cheerleaders at either end of the court danced and chanted their allegiances in true American college style.
As the wheelchairs and television cameras got ready to roll there was a real sense that this was an historic moment for sport for the disabled in South Africa and the players knew that it was up to them to provide the skills and thrills to justify the faith shown in them. They did not disappoint.
The SuperSport Series represents the first fully sponsored, and equally importantly, televised sports competition for the disabled and provides the clearest evidence yet that sport for the disabled is slowly but surely shaking off its sympathy syndrome and stepping into the mainstream.
Sure, there has been very generous support for national championships and teams travelling to international competitions, but this is the first time a competition of this nature has landed such backing.
“The sponsorship proposal that went to M- Net was very transparent and we give them a full audit of where and how the money is being spent,” said Andy Scott, the executive director of the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled (SASPD), of the four-year sponsorship deal worth R1-million in the first year.
That Scott was out there competing for a slice of the same pie with every other sport in an extremely competitive market place says a lot about how far disabled sport has come in recent years. That is perhaps in no small measure down to Scott himself and the respect he has gained in a fraternity – sports administrators – that could presently do with a serious image overhaul.
That and the way the Amakro-kakroka went about the task of showing us just how able they really are in Atlanta last year.
But although the Amakrokakroka certainly had the Midas touch in Atlanta, the 43- strong team was comprised entirely of individuals. Team sports got left behind during the sports boycott and when Scott and his executive returned from Atlanta they drew up a strategic plan to ensure that in Sydney things would be different. The SuperSport Series is one of the tangible developments of that planning.
“What’s important about the SuperSport Series is that it’s ongoing and is not just a one-off event. There is continuity to our planning and it has a very specific goal which will be great for the sport,” says Scott.
That goal is for the South African wheelchair basketball team to qualify for the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney but there are several neat little stepping stones along the way. This year’s SuperSport Series contains the top eight club sides in the country but next year it will be expanded to 10, including one team from Zimbabwe – an indication of the SASPD’s commitment to developing disabled sport on a regional basis.
Next year too there will be a tournament for the top five nations in Africa and the following year the All Africa Games in Johannesburg will feature disabled sports competitions for the first time. Scott is awaiting permission from the International Paralympic Committee to use the All Africa Games as the qualifying tournament for Sydney for a number of sports, basketball being one of them.
And just to ensure that the South African team is fully prepared for the qualifiers there are plans to bring over the reigning Paralympic champions from Australia for a Test series beforehand. “The idea is to lay a solid foundation for the game with the club championships and then open it up from there and see what we can do. I’ve got a feeling that it’s really going to take off and hopefully as a result we will qualify for Sydney,” says Scott.
The first to take off in the new league at the weekend were Cape Town Saints who head the log with two wins out of two. They were also involved in the most exciting games and displayed some silky skills which can only bode well for the future of the national side.
Saints captain Craig Moorgasis said: “I think at the beginning we were overwhelmed by nerves and tension because our adrenalin was really pumping,” said Moorgas of his team’s slow start. “There was a whole lot of hype around this series and everyone was getting very excited in the weeks leading upto it. We only settled down in the second half and got into our rhythm and as a result we played some good, relaxed basketball.”
Judging by the quality of play on show at the weekend the SuperSport Series is already having an impact on standards. “I think you can almost guarantee that the SuperSport Series will improve the national team because this is where you find all the elite players. And of course when the younger players see what we are doing at senior level they will want to be like us because kids are like that.
“It will improve their game and the sport can only grow. We need some younger players to start replacing the older players because they are the ones who will be around in 2000 and 2004,” said Moorgas.
In March last year South Africa lost twice to Egypt in Cairo, showing that there is still much room for improvement. The SuperSport Series and the money it has brought into the game appear to be the turning point, however, with cash also being injected into development, a full- time basketball director, and office administration as well as the tournament itself. Besides covering travel and hotel costs for teams there is also R50 000 in prize money for the series.
That is obviously a big sum for sportsmen unaccustomed to any kind of recognition, let alone financial rewards. But for the Saints it is not the main motivation. “The biggest factor for us is being able to play at this level which is basically a semi- professional level if you like. To have a sponsor, be spoken to by the media, do TV interviews, all that means a hell of a lot to us. It is real recognition for what we do. Some of our players have been playing for 15 years without any recognition and now this series has brought it to us,” said Moorgas.
Another form of recognition will soon be provided by an interested spectator on Saturday. Essop Pahad, Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice-President under which the disabled portfolio falls, was very impressed by what he saw. “Just the sheer physical strength you require in the upper body is something I hadn’t thought of before. I was very impressed with the level of skill and also the enthusiasm of the players.”
But more concrete support will soon be available in the form of a Green Paper which will be released in a few weeks’ time. “One thing I’m committed to is finding a way of incorporating disabled sports championships into the national championships of their associated sporting codes so that the disabled sportspeople get the same crowds and media exposure.
“That will create a greater interest in disabled sport and my main hope is that one day it will be seen as ordinary sport and not something special where you feel sorry for these `poor people’ in wheelchairs,” said Pahad.