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While the ANC led government wastes valuable time, money and energy on a bureaucracy riddled and financially draining ‘Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Bill', - that has already been lambasted by several sporting bodies, including FIFA - the DA proposes a simple, cost-effective measure to ensure safety among and by all participants at sports events. Without claiming to be a comprehensive replacement to the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Bill, The Riaan Loots Campaign, recently revived by the new provincial administration, promotes a code of behaviour at school and club level, for coaches, parents, players, spectators and match officials to ensure that sport is fun, free from violence and injury and that an air of responsibility permeates throughout the game. The Riaan Loots campaign was conceptualised following the death of Loots, who was declared brain-dead after he was kicked in the head, age 24, during a Boland premier league match between Rawsonville and Delicious in Ceres in June 2006. Among the codes of behaviour encouraged, are the following:
Coaches should provide positive verbal feedback, in a constructive and encouraging manner, during coaching sessions and games
Parents should remember that young people play rugby for their own enjoyment, not that of their parents; so parents should ‘encourage' and not ‘force' them to play; and focus on a player's efforts, not winning or losing.
Players should obey the laws of the game, and accept, without question, the referee's decisions; control their emotions; and not interfere with, bully, or take advantage of another player.
The first phase of the Riaan Loots Campaign was about conducting capacity building courses and profiling the campaign. The second phase is about taking ownership of the campaign by passionately promoting fair play and injury free sport. The third phase is to register all coaches, administrators and technical officials in the sport. Equally important will be the attempt to register all sanctions in sport, thereby avoiding that an athlete, administrator, or anybody involved in sport which has been sanctioned, does not moonlight and bring other sport codes into disrepute. The DA encourages the Minister of Sport and Recreation Rev. Dr. Makhenkesi Stofile to implement and promote the measures as set out in the Riaan Loots campaign in all provinces. A document titled ‘Riaan Loots Campaign: A Blueprint on Behaviour' has been published and the DA will be sending a copy of this to the minister
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