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South African marathon record holder Elroy Gelant has voiced his concerns about the current state of local athletics and Athletics South Africa’s heavy emphasis on relays.
As he approaches his 39th birthday, Gelant feels that ASA is placing too much focus on relay events at the expense of other disciplines.
He warns that this heavy emphasis on relays is holding back the growth of other events.
Speaking to SABC Sport, Gelant pointed out that South Africa still lags behind other nations in the marathon and various track and field events, despite strong performances in the relays.
He questions how long the relay success can continue if other disciplines remain neglected and stresses the urgent need for greater investment in those events and coaching development.
"The focus is so centred around relays, but we also need to consider the future, and the development of other countries in the other races.
"We need to do more for the other athletes; there is assistance, but there needs to be more. Our relays are our only hope, I would say," Gelant pointed out.
Gelant, who is a lecturer at North-West University, told the national broadcaster that local coaches need to elevate their standards by benchmarking themselves against their international counterparts.
He emphasised the importance of shifting the mindset of both coaches and athletes to look beyond local competitions in order to foster greater improvement.
"I always say you need to compare apples with apples. If you want to compete against someone like Mo Farah, the athlete, the athlete's behaviour, and the coach must be at a similar level to that of Mo Farah. Everyone from the athletes to the administrators need to upskill themselves to be able to compete at the very highest level across the entire board of events."
The four-time Olympian has been elected to the Athletics South Africa Athletes Commission, chaired by Kesa Molotsane.
He says the commission has several exciting plans aimed at supporting athletes and elevating the sport to new heights.
The national half-marathon champion has also stressed the importance of financial literacy to help athletes manage their earnings wisely, given the short-term nature of a sporting career.
Plans are in place to bring in financial experts to offer guidance, while also highlighting the value of education, a message he strongly advocates as a lecturer himself.
