Kass Blog: New Years Greetings

South Africans are feeling a great sense
of pride following Proteas captain Graeme Smith’s heroic efforts in taking his
team to a historic away Test cricket series win in Australia.
Its not the win itself that has got the nation excited but the manner in which
South Africa went about hunting down their opponents to become the first
foreign team in 16 years to win a Test cricket series on Australian soil.

The Proteas showed the kind of courage and fearlessness that
is sure to rub off on fellow South African sports stars, keen to make a lasting
impression while competing on the world stage. What their successes showed is
that sport most certainly has the ability to unite a nation!

That aside, cricket’s popularity has shot through the roof,
since the Proteas historic series win in Australia, especially Test cricket,
and there is no doubt that Graeme Smith and his troops have earned the respect
and admiration of millions of people around the world.

Imagine if women’s sport in South Africa could achieve a win
similar to this, to give it the kind of injection it needs in order to raise
its profile and encourage increased interest from the public, media, and
prospective sponsors.

This year, there are a host of opportunities for our
sportswomen to make their mark, particularly the national women’s cricket team,
who participate in the ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia and the ICC Women’s
World Twenty20 in England, and the SA Women’s Sevens Squad who take part in the
first-ever Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens competition in Dubai.

There are also opportunities for the national women’s
soccer team, Banyana Banyana, to further enhance their position as one of the
top women’s soccer sides in Africa. Our female
surfers and swimmers can also continue from where they left off last year.

Whatever your feelings about the state of women’s sport,
know that with a sustained effort from all concerned, women’s sport in South Africa
can achieve the kind of successes our male stars have achieved. But it all
starts with one major victory…

There is no doubt that South Africans are a talented
sporting bunch, but for so long we have been labeled chokers, because of our
inability to win when it really matters. But Graeme Smith and his team have hit
that theory for a SIX and hopefully this is a start of a new era for South
African sport, which will see many more heroic efforts from our sports heroes.
Its time to be fearless!

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