Top veteran marathon runner urges government to support athletes

Legendary marathon runner Ms. Fhulufhedzani Masindi believes that the government is not doing enough to empower and support athletes. Fresh from receiving her Green Number after completing her 10^th Comrades Marathon, Masindi said runners needed support from both the government and the private sector to help them compete.

The two-time Land of Legends Marathon winner said she had struggled to raise funds to take part in the recent Comrades ultramarathon, but fortunately she managed to get help from private donors.

“Our government, especially the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, is doing nothing in terms of assisting and supporting athletes. Unlike in other sports, athletes are on their own, which leads to youths’ not being attracted to the sport. Our government has been absent from the lives of athletes all this time. We have been to all corridors of power trying to knock, but all the time, doors were closed behind us, and we are not assisted,” she said.

Masindi further stated that athletes had been silent long enough and that they needed a strong voice to lay bare their plight. “We have to break the silence. We have to speak in one voice,” she said.

To nurture the talents of the youth, the 58-year-old grandmother from Miluwani Makwarela has founded an athletics club in her area. “I will not have done justice to the youth of this country if I do not do something to empower them. I have recently started the Sibasa Athletics Club, and so far, the young ones are joining. This is my humble contribution to the community. This is the legacy I will leave and be proud of,” she said.

Those interested in joining the club can contact her at 076-799-4320.

Date:25 July 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019. He currently writes on a freelance basis, covering human rights issues, court news and entertainment.

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