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18/81 NOTES AND DOCUMENTS* May 1981 18/81 NOTES AND DOCUMENTS* May 1981 REGISTER OF SPORTS CONTACTS WITH SOUTH AFRICA 1 September 1980 - 31 March 1981 Report by the Special Committee against Apartheid Note: This first register of sports contacts with South Africa contains an introduction on the significance of the campaign against apartheid sports, the reasons for the establishment of the register, and an appeal for action. The "register" itself contains three lists: (a) A list of sports exchanges with South Africa arranged by the code of sport; (b) A list of sportsmen and sportswomen who participated in sports events in South Africa, arranged by country; and (c) A list of promoters and administrators who have been active in collaboration with apartheid sport. It is intended that the register will be kept up-to-date and published from time to time. Names of persons who undertake not to engage in further sports contacts with South Africa will be deleted from future lists. The present publication was transmitted to the Organization of African Unity and made available at the International Conference on Sanctions against South Africa, held at UNESCO House, Paris, from 20 to 27 May 1981. *A#l material in these notes and documents may be freely reprinted. Ackncwiledot nt rtiether with a copy of the publication containing the reprint, would be appreciated. 81-14897 Introduction The Special Committee against Apartheid has for many years given special attention to the campaign for the boycott of anartheid sport in South Africa, as part of the international campaign against apartheid. The sports boycott merited special attention for several reasons. 1. Sport has been described as a sort of second religion of the white minority community in South Africa. A boycott of South African sportsmen and teams, therefore, effectively demonstrates to them the universal abhorrence of apartheid. 2. Apartheid has been enforced in sport in Sauth Africa, ever more rigorously since the National Party regime came to power in 19h8, by a variety of laws and regulations, as well as intimidation. It is still being enforced, despite superficial adjustments made in recent years to deceive world opinion. Racial discrimination in sport is directly related to numerous oppressive measures imposed by the racist regime, such as: residential segregation; .separation and inequality in education: uneoual allocati-on of resoiirnps for sDortinR activities; bantustanization and the system of migrant labour; white control over all urban- ar---eas and facilities; inadequate health services; ruthless exnloitation of the black neople who are thereby destined to malnutrition and disease, and, indeed, all the deprivations to which the black people are subjected under the system of racist domination and exploitation. That is why the non-racial sports federations in South Africa have declared that there can be "no normal sport in an abnormal society." 3. The practice of sport is governed by a spirit of fair play as well as a set of principles, among which the foremost is the Olympic principle of non- discrimination. The General Assembly of the United Nations, in resolution 2775 D (XVI) adopted on 29 November 1971, during the "International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination" declared its unqualified support of the Olympic principle that no discrimination be allowed on the grounds of race, religion or political affiliation." This principle is flagrantly violated in South Africa. 4. The movement for elimination of apartheid in sport and for the boycott of apartheid sport was begun in South Africa by black sportsmen as well as others opposed to racism. They appealed for the expulsion of the whites-only sports bodies from international sports federations. The non-racial South African Snorts Association was formed as early as 1955. Non-racial sports bodies have tens of thousands of members, despite denial of facilities and intimidation by the anartheid regime and its institutions. They are now grouped under the South African Council on Sport (SACOS), which has -borne the brunt of the struggle against apartheid in sports. SACOS is a member of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. The international sports boycott is, therefore, a response to the appeals of the oppressed people and the sportsmen of South Africa. 5. Because of the efforts of many organizations and individuals, the campaign against apartheid sport has attracted wide public support all over the world. This is a campaign to which all men and women of conscience can make a personal contribution. Hundreds of thousands of sportsmen and spectators in several countries have participated in boycott actions against apartheid sports which have, in turn, helped to educate millions of others to the truth about apartheid. The struggle against apartheid in sport became a national issue in some countries - especially countries where the governmentsprofessed their abhorrence of apartheid but continued to collaborate with the apartheid regime , and confirmed the conviction of the Special Committee that when the facts about apartheid are made known, the great m.jority--of the people would not fail to oppose it. Of particular significance has been the fact that the young people have been in the forefront of the movement against apartheid sport. Progress of the campaign against anartheid snort The international campaign against anartheid sport registered significant achievements in the past two decades. The most notable victory was the suspension of South Africa from the Olympics in 1964 and expulsion in 1970. Over the years, South Africa has also been suspended or expelled from a series of codes of sports including: amateur boxing, athletics, badminton, basketball, canoeing, chess, cricket, cycling, football (soccer), simming, table tennis, water-skiing, weightlifting and wrestling. In sports like judo and handball, South Africa's application for affiliation has been rejected. In some sports federations, where a few Western countries dominate thrcugh a system of weighted votes, or in sports in which the African and non-aligned countries are not significant participants, and the votes of Socialist countries are small, it has not so far been possible to obtain the required majorities to exclude South Africa. Examples are: archery, fencing, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, rowing, shooting and yachting. Even in those sports, there have been a series of boycotts by individual countries, teams or sportsmen in protest against the participation of apartheid South African teams and the pressures for exclusion of South Africa have been growing. The boycott of anartheid sports, moreover, received support from the overwhelming majority of Governments of the world. While a majority of the CGovernments - particularly from African, non-aligned and Socialist States - took firm measures to prevent sports competitions with apartheid teams, several others, especially from the West, took partial measures to discourage such competitions. Special reference may be made in this connexion to the actions recently taken by Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, and Sweden to bar South African sports teams. The Irish Government has made its strong and uncompromising opposition to apartheid sport known to all her nationals. It banned the South African Barbarians rugby team in 1979, and vehemently opposed the visit of the Irish rugby team to South Africa in May 1981. The Argentine Government decided on 30 September 1980 that South Africans visiting the country must declare that they will not participate in any sports event or be associated with other sports activities, such as technical advice and training. The opposition of Governments to sports contacts with South Africa has also been expressed in international declarations. In the aftermath of the boycott of Montreal Olympics by African States, Guyana and Iraq, the heads of Government of the Commonwealth Countries announced the "Gleneagles Agreement" of 1977, "to take every practical step to discourage contact or competition by their nationals with sporting organizations, teams or sportsmen from South Africa." The joint Nordic programme of actions against South Africa, announced in March 1978, included a recommendation that contacts with the apartheid regime in the field of snort be discontinued. The West European Sports Ministers, at their meetings in 1979 and 1981, called on sports organizations and sportsmen not to allow themselves to be used by countries which practise racial discrimination. These advances in the isolation and boycott of apartheid sport were achieved by the sacrifices of many. In South Africa itself, non-racial sports leaders have constantly been subjected to imprisonment, restriction, denial of passports, intimidation and harrassment. Outside South Africa, numerous sportsmen have had to give up precious opportunities for international competition because certain sports bodies insisted on allowing the participation of aoartheid teams. The sacrifice of sportsmen from Africa, Guyana and Iraq who were obliged to boycott the Montreal Olympics is but one of many examples. Some sports federations even took punitive action against sportsmen who refused, on grounds of principle, to play against South African sportsmen and teams. Tens of thousands of people, especially the youth in Western countries, have devoted their time and energy to demonstrate their opposition to tours by anartheid teams; many have suffered imnrisonment and assaults during such demonstrat ion s.

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