The Cape Town high court is set to rule on the long-simmering fight between Swimming South Africa (SSA) and what appears to be a large part of its water polo membership.
The judgment could have far-reaching consequences for sport in this country if South Africa Water Polo (SAWP) non-profit company should win enough ground to organise its discipline.
SAWP was formed earlier this year as an attempt to run water polo autonomously because they believe SSA has been doing a disastrous job.
SSA runs all aquatic sports in South Africa, notably swimming, open-water swimming, water polo and artistic swimming. It is recognised by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) as well as the international governing body, World Aquatics.
Both parties have agreed to make no press statements in the build-up to the case, but in a press release at its launch, SAWP threatened to go to World Aquatics to win recognition if SSA refused. SAWP’s argument is that SSA has done little for water polo, naming international teams too late for meaningful preparation ahead of international competitions, among other things.
SAWP believes it could do a far better job and it could be right.
SSA has been dogged with allegations of poor performance in the past year or so.
It is being sued for more than R7m by two artistic swimmers who were sent home from the 2024 world championships in Doha without getting the chance to try to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Breaststroke swimmer Lara van Niekerk missed the Olympics despite qualifying at the 2023 South African championships which World Aquatics said had not been registered by SSA as a qualifying gala.
The South African men’s and women’s teams were supposed to qualify for Paris as well, but their spots were mysteriously given up before the end of the world championships in Doha.
Not getting to the Games — the pinnacle for water polo — was a major blow for the sport locally. But should SAWP win the right to fight for recognition at World Aquatics, it could create a precedent for other sports in this country, which are also struggling.
It is clear many federations are struggling at an administrative level, especially judging by the way some have been getting flayed by members of parliament in the sport, arts and culture portfolio committee.
Athletics, netball, basketball and both bodies from professional and amateur boxing have also taken serious flak in recent months, with committee members complaining how this is a common theme throughout South African sport.
On the one hand, if the court simply rules on the status quo and dismisses as irrelevant the claims about SSA’s poor managerial skills, then the sports bosses in this country will have nothing to fear.
But should the court decide that managerial competence is critical, it could open the door for activists wanting change across their own codes.
The irony with the SSA-SAWP battle is that sport, art and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has said he wants 300 South African athletes to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The only way he stands a chance of getting close to that is to ensure that all federations don’t do as SSA has done and apply tougher qualifying standards.
But water polo, it seems, want to do a lot more than simply get to the Olympics.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.