Poor! Poor! Poor!

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The response is simple. The International Olympic Committee and the respective IFs are committed now more than ever to ensuring that their respective sporting disciplines reflect as much as possible, growth in the numbers participating and improved performances by participants at all levels. This is the reason why they continue to pour resources into the development of their respective sporting disciplines. As a consequence the IFs also require full commitment to participate in their respective regional and international competitions, especially
World Championships. Failure to participate could mean loss of available resources and the imposition of penalties that could eventually lead to suspension of the national association from their regional and international governing bodies.

The future

The future of our participation in the Olympic Games is not dissimilar to that which must be undertaken in all of our other sports.

The future requires significant revision of the broader national sport development process by all stakeholders. The government must desist from playing politics with sport and the convening of the occasional so-called symposiums that are little more than talk shops and opportunities to grandstand and make more loose promises.

There must be full engagement by all national sports associations in a collective endeavour that is national sports development and break free of the tendency towards selfishness and unacceptable myopia.

Facilities must be constructed in accordance with international requirements as opposed to the slip-shod, politically motivated caricatures that are offered to our national athletes. These facilities must be adequately equipped and not be held aloft as veritable white elephants to be used only on grand occasions.

National associations must be professional in their mode of operation and resist the temptation to be caught up in the belly-aching that constitutes repeated attempts to engage in friendship and partisanship in their approaches to leadership in every aspect of their organisation and management.