John Mathane: South Africa not ready to host major athletics events

Mathane’s comments come after Botswana successfully hosted the inaugural World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, where South Africa won silver medals in both the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay events.

Botswana upgraded its national stadium ahead of the competition and received praise for hosting the event.

South Africa has previously hosted successful global tournaments in rugby, football, cricket, and netball.

However, the country has never hosted the senior World Athletics Championships or a Diamond League meeting.

There was renewed excitement about the future of athletics in the country after South African sprint star Akani Simbine hosted the successful Simbine Classics at Pilditch Stadium two weeks ago.

The World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting attracted strong support and left many fans hoping South Africa could host bigger international athletics events in the future.

But Mathane, who is also the president of Athletics Gauteng North, says the reality is that the country still has a long way to go before it can host world-class athletics championships.

Speaking to SABC Sport Mathane explained that many stadiums across the country do not meet international standards and need major upgrades.

“People think South Africa has the facilities and resources to host major athletics events, but the truth is that we still have serious challenges,” said Mathane. “We cannot simply wake up tomorrow and host a major international championship. A lot still needs to be done.”

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Mathane revealed that the certification for Pilditch Stadium is due to expire at the end of June, and ASA is already engaging municipalities and athletics authorities to help renew it.

“We are working with municipalities because the certification at Pilditch Stadium is coming to an end. We need assistance to renew it and ensure the facility meets the required standards,” he said.

Mathane also revealed that one province had shown interest in bidding to host a World Under-20 Championships event in South Africa, but concerns over facilities remain a major obstacle.

“Our heartfelt plea is for municipalities to refurbish athletics facilities across the country,” he added.

“One province wants to host a junior world championship, but that cannot happen if we do not have the right facilities in place."