VANDERBIJLPARK – ‘n Storm het om Atletiek Vaaldriehoek (AVD) se kop losgebars nadat sy aanbieding van Atletiek Suid-Afrika (ASA) se 2024 Landloop Kampioenskap op die VUT Isak Steyl-stadion wat op 7 September plaasgevind het, onder hewige kritiek deurgeloop het.
Dit was die grootste landloop-byeenkoms in die geskiedenis met 4 100 atlete wat deelgeneem het. Fel kritiek is op ASA se Facebookblad gelewer.
Klagtes oor vuil toiletgeriewe, gebrek aan tydhou-skyfies (timing chips), gebrekkige noodhulp -en opwarmingsgeriewe asook roete veiligheid, het onder die loep gekom.
AVT se Plaaslike Reëlingskomitee (PRK) het by monde van hul voorsitter Beaulah Valentine reageer.
“AVT se president, Sabata Kumalo, het aangebied om die kampioenskap aan te bied, nadat die ander provinsies nie bereid was nie,” het Valentine gesê. Kumalo het by navraag Vaalweekblad na ASA vir kommentaar verwys. Sifiso Cele, media skakelbeampte van ASA, het op sy beurt die media na ASA se amptelike plasing op sy Facebookblad verwys.
“First let’s apologise to you all. We will be having a serious discussion with the host province to first understand why such things even happened.
Then we will take the necessary corrective measures so that it is not repeated. We thank you all for your support and enthusiasm. We view your reviews as constructive and to the benefit of all athletics,” het ASA op sy Facebookblad gesê.
Volgens AVD se reëlingskomitee was daar 30 bykomende mobiele toilette gehuur, maar dat die publiek verkies het om in rye by die paviljoen se toilette te staan.
“Die toilette is gereeld gediens met toilet papier, maar ongelukkig hou mense daarvan om dit te vat. Gedurende die dag was daar drie opsigters en 15 skoonmakers by die mobiele toilette, wat hierdie toilette gereeld gediens en skoongemaak het. Die opwarmingsarea was voldoende.
Daar was twee opwarmingsvelde. Dit was duidelik aangedui op die 2024 ASA handleiding wat aan elke provinsie gestuur is.
Wat die timing chips betref, is daar van video-en foto-opnames asook afskeurstrokies gebruik gemaak. As daar na die regstellings gekyk word wat provinsies moes stuur na die tydhouers, was daar nie eers 20 regstellings nie.
Ek kan nie verstaan hoekom dit so groot probleem blyk te wees nie. Die probleem was eerder die tyd wat regstellings in beslag geneem het om die resultate te plaas,” het AVD se reëlingskomitee gesê.
Volgens AVD was die noodpersoneel voldoende met twee ILS, ses BLS en ‘n mediese dokter wat aan diens was. Wat die klagtes oor die roete betref, ASA het glo twee keer op 20 Julie en 3 Augustus die stadion besoek, veranderings aan die roete aangebring en die roete aanvaar. “AVD het ‘n ander venue in gedagte gehad, maar daar was reeds ‘n ander byeenkoms.
ASA het na VUT gekyk en goedkeuring gegee dat dit daar aangebied word. Wat die noodplan betref was die JOC in plek gewees wat alle aspekte van nooduitgange, veiligheid, en meer ingesluit het en wat deur die plaaslike munisipaliteit (Emfuleni), afgeteken is.” Die VUT wat die Isak Steyl-stadion besit het die fasiliteite gratis aan die AVD verskaf.
So het mense op ASA se Facebookblad uitgevaar (Let wel: inskrywings is nie taalversorg nie):
Neels Pretorius: In all our years of attending SA championship (cross country) events all over SA, this was the worst one off them all!! Poor organising, no SA t-shirts, dirty etc. Our AGN championships two weeks ago were light years ahead! ASA should wake up and adress this.
Leo Hirselman: Very poor organization… No paramedics on side when u need them urgently.. And when I find them.. They on lunch.. Eating KFC.. Nice. Yolandi Pretorius Jonker: The fact that the athletes ran without timing chips were bad. Bathrooms were horrible, only 1 bathroom for ladies, 5 toilets of which 2 were out of order, no toiletpaper. Athletes were confused about where the warm-up area and call room was and the control in an out of these areas were poor. Food and drink stalls were perfect.
Leanri en Gavin Williams: Timing chips is a definite must! Results was wrong (podium positions) because of no chips and athletes jumping the position in line and then u have to go through the whole process of appeal to correct this mistakes, completely unnecessary! On SA level you would expect more/ the best…
Lizelle Mentz: Of all the years and years I have attended and participated at SA’s level at these championships, this year was by far the worst event ever. Very sad. We were there around 6:30, and already the toilets were overflowing with no toilet paper for the entire day. The smell was horrible, disgusting. Unhealthy!!!! Disaster at the start line as we got pushed around like animals by the ASA ‘officials’ and shouted at.
Cladius Vyvers: To witness the events was beautiful from all age groups. But the course setup was totally unacceptable did a safety officer approved the course?
