The Jack Cheetham Memorial award was initiated 22 years ago in recognition of the special qualities of Jack Cheetham, a former director of Murray & Roberts and the inspirational captain of the South African cricket team in the 1950s, who was able to instill in people the belief that they could win.

A new-look award, launched in 2002, targets development sports projects in designated sporting codes, focusing on individuals or teams that have the potential to be champions.

In November 2002, Murray & Roberts, announced that it had reached agreement with new partners, the National Olympic Committee of South Africa (NOCSA) and the Sowetan newspaper. As implementation partner, NOCSA advises Murray & Roberts on the selection of a winner and the ongoing management of the award. Sowetan offers an excellent platform to position the award and communicate the empowering qualities of sport, particularly to young people.

In another development, Murray & Roberts increased the prize money to R100 000 and stipulated that much of the prize money be allocated to coaching clinics for both players and coaches in the winning project.

“To ensure sustainability, the award will not be made as a once-off contribution. Rather, we intend to have a series of interventions in the designated sport with the possibility of ongoing support through our corporate social involvement programmes,” says Brian Bruce, group chief executive of Murray & Roberts.

Sean Flanagan, Murray & Roberts director, Lyndon Barends, NOCSA CEO and Mike Tissong, MD of the Sowetan, sign the partnership agreement in Johannesburg.
 

Sydney Matlhaku, Associate Editor of Sowetan said: “Sowetan is delighted to be associated with this Award. We have a proud history of partnering corporates in development projects that enhance the lives of many South Africans. We believe that the Jack Cheetham Award, in its new form, and Murray & Roberts, will make a significant contribution to development in sport in South Africa.”

Rowing is a highly technical discipline.

The 2002 Award was presented to Rowing South Africa at a gala event at the Wanderers Sports Club in Johannesburg on 28 November.

Rowing is a minority sport that competes with the larger, more popular sports for sponsorship. Against these odds – and boosted by passionate and dedicated leadership – Rowing South Africa has established a well organised, effective development programme, with structures in place to identify and develop talent, particularly in previously disadvantaged sectors.

In 2001, Rowing South Africa appointed a transformation committee under the chairmanship of Vuyo Kahla aimed at universities and schools.

In less than two years, the development programme has unleashed considerable potential and produced South Africa’s first black rowing champion, Lawrence Ndlovu.

Presently, there are 40 schools in South Africa that have taken up rowing with 16 schools competing at high level. Now, with the help of Murray & Roberts, Rowing South Africa has introduced a coaching programme for coaches, with Keith Maybery, a highly acclaimed South African coach driving the programme. Maybery will implement a coaches’ programme, developed and applied with great success by Australia.

Rowing South Africa will allocate 50% of the prize money to the coaching programme, while the balance will fund a container load of used boats from Switzerland. The Jack Cheetham funds will establish rowing at seven more schools in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.


Transformation challenges

A number of progressive thinkers within Rowing South Africa are working hard to transform the sport and make it accessible to as many young South Africans as possible.

“There are challenges to rowing,” says Bob Tucker, President of Rowing South Africa. “Rowers have to be able to swim and timing and balance are critical.”

Added to these challenges is the expense of equipment. “It costs R200 000 to buy a new boat of eight locally and  R350 000 to import it, so we draw heavily on parent participation at schools,” he says.

Rowing demands excellence in the individual, who has to be subordinate to the crew. It is a team sport where each member has to work in harmony.

To date, the rewards of the transformation initiative have been excellent. South Africa has won a number of medals in fierce international competition, while the country’s men and women teams are ranked in the top four internationally.

For a young black man from a disadvantaged background, rowing was an unlikely dream. It is a highly technical and expensive sport which, in the past, classed it as elite.

But, Lawrence Ndlovu, had a dream and he was determined. Lawrence is now training for the Olympics with the South African national team. He is one of the first successes of Rowing South Africa’s transformation programme at schools.

Lawrence developed an interest in water sports at an early age and played water polo at Mondeor High School in Johannesburg. It was there in 1996 that he discovered rowing. “I wanted to try it and loved it from the start,” he says.

Soon, he was selected to row in the South African Junior Team, where he has participated in some spectacular performances – first place in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Gold in the 2002 African Championships.

Lawrence is now in training for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. “We are definitely going for Gold!” he says.
 

(From left) Bob Tucker, President of Rowing SA, Lyndon Barends, NOCSA CEO, Vuyo Kahla, Chairman of Rowing SA’s Transformation Committee, Lawrence Ndlovu and Brian Bruce.