SASCOC set June deadline for OPEX submissions

The Operation Excellence Programme is designed to financially support athletes with the potential to qualify for and win medals at major international competitions. 

SASCOC High Performance Manager, Leon Fleisher, told SABC Sport that invitation letters were sent out over the weekend, with aims to finalise the list by 30 June.

"We can probably get around 80-90 athletes onto OPEX in terms of our funding right now, and obviously we're trying to find other funding options so we can increase it," said Fleisher.

"But the call for OPEX went out for the definites, and then for the people who want to talk to their federations about being on OPEX is going to happen, so by end of June, OPEX should be finalised."

Fleisher, who served as Team South Africa’s Chef de Mission at the Paris Olympic Games last year, says it takes millions of rands annually to support the athletes on the programme.

"Ideal budget – and sorry, when I say ideal, there's never enough money, but for me, an ideal budget leading up to LA 2028 will be R40 million per year," he noted.

"We can probably squeeze R25 million a year but then we're not doing everything we want to do, so we have to be pushing for R40-50 million a year on the Bidvest Operation Excellence programme."

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