Enforcing quotas in sport might have seemed like a good idea at first, but it clearly doesn’t work, so it’s no surprise to discover that most South Africans don’t agree with the concept at top-flight level.
In a poll released this week by the Institute of Race Relations, it was found that 92% of people believed national sport teams should be selected on merit.
It’s a bit of a silly poll to be taking in 2025 because the government abolished its quota system years ago and no national teams enforce quotas anymore.
But national federations are still expected to aim for targets, and in order to achieve this, some sports are still enforcing quotas at domestic level, including cricket and netball.
Based on the demographics of the national cricket and netball teams, however, this system is obviously not working. And that’s no surprise. It’s a lazy approach and it doesn’t solve anything.
Simply forcing teams to select players based on race just creates division and animosity, and it doesn’t improve the quality of a sport, which will be achieved if real development policies are implemented.
Fix the problem at its base
The only way to drive transformation is to do so from the bottom up, and it needs to be based on creating opportunities and ensuring young athletes are exposed to various sports.
Football and athletics are the most transformed sports in South Africa, and they are the only major codes in the country which feature national teams that reflect anything close to the demographics of a country with a population that is more than 80% black.
The reason for this is simple. Go to any rural village or township in the country and you will find people of all ages playing football, and you will find people running.
And if the other sports are ever going to follow suit, those codes need to raise their profiles in these areas.
Laying solid foundations
Holding a clinic once a year in a township is not enough. Equipment needs to be provided, courses need to be offered for coaches, and a culture needs to be developed to attract young people to the various sports.
Tennis South Africa is doing this through its Rising Star Tennis programme, and it’s working. The number of young players from underprivileged areas emerging at junior level has risen significantly, and that will undoubtedly filter through to elite senior level in the years to come.
Quotas in national teams were never a good idea, and while it might have seemed they would make a difference at domestic level, they just haven’t been effective enough.
Every federation needs to make a real effort to drive development at grassroots level. It takes commitment, effort and resources, but it’s the only viable solution.
About the Author
