Nataalia von Willigh & Matome Tshishonga

The selection Claudia Havenga, Lareen Louw, Emilio Abreu and Malik Baatjies of Golden Lions Gymnastics for the the 2010 Acro team for the World Age Group championships in Poland was supposed to be a happy occasion.
The announcement was, however, soured by the South African Gymnastics Federation (SAGF).

In a bizarre move, the SAGF selected one of the club’s gymnasts, Matome Tshishonga, 19, over his coach, Natalia von Willigh as  coach for the upcoming World Age Group championships in Poland in July this year.

Golden Lions Gymnastics declared a dispute with the SAGF and requested SAGF president Jerry Masia to resolve it as a matter of urgency.

In a letter to the SAGF, Golden Lions Gymnastics asked: “How on earth could the SAGF Board approve this idiocy (utterly senseless or foolish behavior; a stupid or foolish act)?”

Thsishonga is not qualified as a coach and has not coached his fellow club members. He has since resigned the selection informing the SAGF that the organisation embarrassed him as no one consulted him before the team announcement was made.

His selection was done as the SAGF could not meet their 25% quota system.

Golden Lions Gymnastics produced more than 70% of the non-white gymnasts of the team and instead of Natalia von Willigh being awarded for her brilliant transformation work, she gets punished with this stupidity by an untransformed SAGF Board. Only one of our club’s six gymnasts expected to make the team, is white and all of them were selected on merit.

Even if he was qualified as a coach, how these clowns could think that he can coach and also train for the world championships the following week, is unclear.

The SAGF took Sascoc’s motto, “Putting our athletes first”, to a new level!

As Natalie Friesling, Tshishonga’s partner in a senior mixed pair, suffered a serious elbow injury last year she and Tshishonga will undergo a fitness test as soon as the dispute is resolved. She is, however, expected to be fully fit for the July event.

Of the team selected only Baatjies and Abreu are expected to make the finals in the junior world event.

Wessel Oosthuizen