Address by Mr Gert C Oosthuizen MP, Deputy Minister of Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) in Algiers, Algeria at Team SA "Traditional Medal Ceremony"

Foreign Ministry,
SA Ambassador,
HE Super Maloi, COJA Management
President of South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and board members
Chef de Mission(s)
Presidents of National Federations
Team Management
Staff from the Embassy
Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA)
Department of Arts and Culture (DAC)
Athletes
Media from Algiers
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)
All protocol observed

In the Algerian way, I must open by saying:
"Salaam aleikum" or "peace be with you" and "Bon jour" or "good day"

When we met at the farewell function in Pretoria on 6 July 2007, I asked you to be sports ambassadors for South Africa. I am told that South Africa has been excellently represented. Team South Africa has indeed done us very proud not only in your performance in achieving 60 gold, 60 silver, 49 bronze medals and coming third on the final medals table, but also in the way you have conducted yourselves. Winning and losing are always emotional times for athletes and a country. It is against this background that the actions of some of your management have been understandable in the circumstances.

With time, the sense of not winning, not as a result of your performance, will fade. You should remember that feeling and in so doing, make a commitment to performing in such a way in future that there is no other option but for you to be recognised as the winner on and off the field of play.

I am delighted to see some of our so-called "smaller" or "Cinderella" sports making their way on to the medals table, sailing with six gold medals, cycling with three, badminton with two and of course, our athletes from whom we have come to expect gold, athletics for our athletes with a disability 10, swimming 24 and athletics for those without a disability five gold.

I hear via the effective bush telegraph between Pretoria and Algiers that you have faced many challenges and have come out tops. You have devised the South African equivalent of Red Cross food parcels which enabled you to concentrate on your training and competition without standing in long queues. You have patiently understood the need for tight security and have not let it cause you to deviate from the purpose of your being here. You have demonstrated the best aspects of inclusion by accepting athletes with and without a disability as simply athletes.

By so doing you reinforced our national motto: "South Africa: united in our diversity." You have performed in all areas in terms of our expectations. So, thank you for being great! In your midst, you also had four young up-and-coming athletes taking part in the first Youth Camp organised by COJA on behalf of the Supreme Council of Sport in Africa. They are: Louwrens Pretorius, Aloysius Seleka, Nicole Naik and Nonzukisa Mtumba. They are among us today.

They have attended your events, have seen the good example you have set and you have inspired them to continue with their training regime to ensure that they show on the radar of the national federations and SASCOC as having the potential to be selected to represent our wonderful country in the near future.

This comes hot on the heels of another wonderful development in our sport: on Thursday last week, Robbie Hunter of South Africa won a stage of the gruelling Tour de France, representing Team Barloworld, sponsored by a South African company. Krige Schabort, one of our athletes with a disability was also nominated for the "ESPYS Award" in the United States of America (USA) one of four finalists and although he did not win, his achievements were certainly recognised.

I mention this, because we continue to make our mark on the world sporting stage. I have no doubt that we will continue to make a more significant impact in the next few years as we marshal increasing resources in the direction of sport and recreation and to you as athletes. In fact, you have already benefited from our increased support.

To our hosts, the Algerian nation, we say thank you for your hospitality. COJA has been very helpful to our team management. I am told that the Opening Ceremony was awesome and has once again raised the bar for future hosts. To the next hosts, Zambia, we wish you all the best in your preparation to host the next All Africa Games. In the spirit of African solidarity, South Africa, like the continent, stands ready to lend support to you!

To our Ambassador and his staff: thank you for providing exceptional support to the team. While I do not like to single people out, I am told Jaco Schoeman has gone far beyond the call of duty, to demonstrate the motto of Batho Pele. To our team management, ably led by Hajera Kajee, a veteran in this area, thank you for providing the support systems for our athletes to perform. As management, you have to do everything in your power to ensure that our athletes are able to focus on their events. This you have done.

To our athletes, the gems in our South African sports crown, well done on your achievements. For those who felt they could have done better, go home, take a break and then re-commit yourselves to your sport. For those of you who have experienced a major multi-sport international event for the first time, I hope that you have been inspired to go on to bigger and better things. There may be some who will retire from sport following these Games and I appeal to you to find ways of contributing your expertise and experience you have gained, back into your sport. Having been athletes at the top level, you would no doubt contribute enormously as future managers and coaches.

I am now in a position to declare that after our participation in today's events, the South African participation in the ninth All Africa Games shall be deemed closed. Team South Africa has acquitted itself well. We will reconvene in South Africa to assess what we can do better for our next Team South Africa outings to the Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World Student Games, the Olympic, Paralympic and Zone VI U20 Games. Travel safely home! We will celebrate your achievements on your return.

I thank you.

Issued by: Sport and Recreation South Africa
23 July 2007