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Sunette Viljoen
Durban – Javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen missed out on an Olympic medal by 38cm at last year’s London Games, her throw of 64.53m only good enough for fourth place behind Linda Stahl of Germany.
That performance was in a year during which she set an African and Commonwealth record and had the backing of South Africa’s Olympic and athletics bodies.
Today, she is training for the IAAF World Championships, to be held in Russia in August, having been told her funding from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee will be cut owing to a dispute with Athletics South Africa’s leadership.
“As a top athlete, I work hard every day to be in top shape, to be healthy and to ensure I can compete against the best athletes in the world. Having less financial support means giving in on my competitors. Where I would prefer to work on my training and competitions, I now need to worry about money, and that is not a good situation,” said Viljoen in an e-mail to The Mercury.
Viljoen is one of five “Tier 1” athletes whose Sascoc Operation Excellence funding was cut off.
The others are long jumper and Olympic silver medallist Khotso Mokoena, the young sprinter Anaso Jobodwana, hurdler Lehann Fourie, and decathlete Willem Coertzen.
Viljoen said her international competitors all received support from their respective federations and sporting bodies, and it was “an unfair situation” that South African athletes were not getting the same.
“Being the best in the world is being better in all parts of sport: training, physiotherapy, exercises, competitions, knowledge and medical help with injuries. This all costs money.”
“I don’t want to choose sides in this situation, but the athletes are not part of the problem, so they should not be the ones to be punished.”
It is not only the established athletes who are affected, as the cut in funding will also filter down to the junior ranks.
“For young and upcoming athletes, it is already hard to make a living when they are not good enough for a sponsorship or to earn their money in competitions. The situation will be that young athletes won’t choose a career as professional athletes any more, as it is not possible to finance such a career,” she said.
Sascoc’s decision to remove ASA from among its members also resulted in athletes not being allowed to compete in International Olympic Committee events, such as the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
Viljoen said she hoped Sascoc and ASA would “solve their problems” before the next of these events, with Scotland hosting the Commonwealth Games next year. – The Mercury
