‘We’ll go big for LA’: McKenzie promises athletes support for Games

As he welcomed home South Africa’s Olympic team on Tuesday, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie promised that, for the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028, the government would give its full backing to South Africa’s athletes and promised to double the team’s size from the current 150 to 300.

McKenzie had been moved and angered by the revelation that javelin silver medallist Jo-Ane van Dyk had received not a single cent in financial support from the government and that her family had to pay for her through years of training and competing leading up of Paris 2024.

‘I am going to make it happen’

“I want to publicly say this today, as South Africa, we have the responsibility to take no less than 300 Olympians (to the Games) in 2028. It’s a promise, I am going to make it happen,” the minister told journalists at OR Tambo International Airport.

“We are going to find the Tatjanas in the rural areas.

“Tatjana Smith might retire from professional swimming but she is not retiring from helping us look for the Tatjanas in Soweto, Eldorado Park and Krugersdorp.

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“We are a sporting nation and sport unites us.”

McKenzie thanked Smith for bringing the country together with her achievements at the Olympics.

“You have not just achieved on and off the field. When you were swimming, there was not a house in SA that was sitting. You had us on our feet and for that I came today to say thank you. President Cyril Ramaphosa told me to tell you he was jumping up and down himself,” he said.

Fans flocked at airport

Hundreds of fans, friends and family of the Team SA flocked to the airport on Tuesday to greet the Olympians on their return from Paris.

The crowd sang the national anthem and other songs while they waited for the athletes, whose flight was delayed by a few minutes.

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McKenzie greeted each athlete as they made their way through the cheering crowd at the arrivals.

Smith, who won the 100m breaststroke gold and took silver in the 200m breaststroke, was one of the first athletes to make it through the doors and took time to stop and take selfies with the hundreds of fans.

Pupils welcome back Walaza

A group of Curro pupils also arrived at the airport to welcome back sprinter Bayanda Walaza, who won silver as part of SA’s 4x100m relay team.

Oratile Mphahlele said it was an amazing feeling to be at the airport to support a fellow pupil.

“This is a reminder that no matter what place you start from, you can go far if you put your mind to it and follow your dream,” she said.

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Mphahlele said she has also represented SA in a dance competition and this reminded her to follow her dreams.

A teacher, Alexis Pirie, said they were proud of Walaza. “It’s such a big achievement for a student to go to the Olympics, never mind win a silver medal.”

Walaza described as wonderful student

Pirie described Walaza as a wonderful student. “He is diligent, humble and kind.

“When he went to the World Relay Championships a few months ago to qualify for the Olympics he was frantically trying to get hold of the headmaster because he couldn’t get onto Microsoft teams to do his homework,” Pirie said.

Simone Pretorius, who was on her way to Cape Town, said she didn’t even know the Olympic team was arriving on Tuesday.

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“It was a pleasant surprise to see people showing up and supporting our athletes.”