South Africans are outraged following reports that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympics Committee (Sascoc) will not provide performance bonuses to the two podium finishers, Tatjana Schoenmaker and Bianca Buitendag.
Schoenmaker not only bagged silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke on Tuesday, July 27 but also set a new Olympic world record, and won the country’s first gold medal as she dominated the women’s 200m breaststroke final on Friday, July 30.
Buitendag who hails from Victoria Bay in the Western Cape won silver in the women’s surfing event in Tokyo on Tuesday, July 27. This is the first time the sport was included in the Olympics.
Despite their stellar performances, Sascoc President, Barry Hendricks reportedly told EWN that “This does not mean Sascoc does not want to issue performance bonuses. In fact, as we speak, we are trying to negotiate with partners to try and assist us in this regard.”
“If one has to give performance bonuses for medals in the Olympics, we would then have to do that to the Paralympic athletes as well.
“Sascoc cannot place unrealistic expectations on its athletes when we know full well that we can’t compete with the likes of Great Britain. Great Britain receives £350 million over a four-year cycle in preparation for the Olympics. SASCOC receives R28 million over four years,” Hendricks added.
Meanwhile, South Africans took to Twitter to vent their anger regarding this reported injustice towards the two medal winners. Some have raised issues surrounding race while others believe that Sascoc is “still getting their [own] salaries in full.”
On women’s day, SASCOC says they don’t have money to pay bonuses to two women that won this country they only three medals we received.
Their crime is to have the wrong skin colour.
Can @CyrilRamaphosa and @PresidencyZA stop pretending they value women in South Africa?
— Unathi Kwaza (@Unathi_Kwaza) August 9, 2021
Sascoc, find the money to acknowledge our Olympic medalists. Your inconsistency is a disgrace and sends the wrong message to our super athletes who sacrifice so much to compete and win for their country.
— Jonathan Jansen (@JJ_Stellies) August 9, 2021
Sascoc paid all its funds to salaries for themselves and for their travelling allowances an expenses. https://t.co/hcKfXLD1js
— Peter Mansfield (@Peterman43) August 9, 2021
SASCOC does not have money to pay the (2) Athletes that won us medals? ??
Just TWO!
— Smolo ?? (@JustKb_elo) August 9, 2021
SASCOC does not have money to pay the (2) Athletes that won us medals? ??
Not just SASCOC, all sporting governing bodies as well. And while we at it, a new government as well that fits this criteria.
— Michael Jacobs ?? (@MikeDavidJacobs) August 9, 2021
How Sascoc can confidently say that it will not be issuing medal bonuses to Tatjana Schoenmaker and Bianca Buitendag is beyond me… ???
— Tumi Kgasoe (@TumiKgasoe) August 9, 2021
Sascoc has let our Athletes down for far too long now. It truly needs ministerial intervention with the same gusto they came for CSA with.
— Mpho “Your Friendly Sports Guy” (@MphoMoreki) August 9, 2021
No let’s fight sascoc together.. i am black and my wife is white.. and i am not happy with sascoc. Tatjana and Bianca worked hard and they deserve bonuses.
— Thapelo Mhlambhi (@oubrathapza) August 9, 2021
I’m sure the SASCOC executive management is still getting their salaries in full tho
— LordKabelo (@LordKabelo) August 9, 2021
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Picture: Twitter @TeamSA