SASCOC-k Up – the Greg Shushu story.

As the excitement builds towards next month’s London 2012 Olympic Games, a rather sad and disappointing story came across my sporting radar recently. The story of our champion weightlifter, Greg Shushu, not being sent to the Olympics by the SASCOC(ks). No, not because we aren’t sending anyone from this sport, but because these pricks in the power seats think Greg is too old.

Rightfully upset - Greg Shushu.

Too old? Greg is 31 years old!

Greg and SA’s other weightlifters recently went to the Continental Championships in Kenya in hope of achieving an Olympic spot. At the champs Greg cleaned up winning 3 of the 4 team medals which included 2 golds and 1 bronze. In doing so SA now had a spot in the Olympics, but that place was not to be going to Greg. No, sadly SASCOC were simply using Greg to win the spot, only to them push him aside thereafter telling him this days before announcing the squad.

What a load of bollocks, are these guys for real !?! Greg is 31 years old, most probably in his prime and with the experience needed to have a realistic shot at winning a medal, which last time I checked, was a rather large reason for sending athletes over there to start with.

Not informed of not being in the picture for the Olympics within the SA weightlifting team, Greg trained to get to London and do his country proud. SASCOC didn’t fund these efforts of course, so now that he isn’t going to the games all of this has been in vain. Now I have been kicked in the nuts before, I have seen many people get kicked in the nuts before, but I have never seen someone so brutally hit in this area than what Greg has endured from SASCOC’s plain and simple dick behaviour.

They say Greg is not a prospect for the 2016 Games and therefore not worth sending to these games as the experience will be better suited to an up and coming lifter. What kind of logic is that? They then went on to waft more out of their arses saying that the focus of an athlete should be on the country’s interests not their own. Ah, surely sending the best medal prospect is in the best interests of the country? Sounds like the individual agendas of those SASCOCks is quite contradictory to this.

Kevin du Plooy, the Weightlifting Federation of SA president said he wishes to reserve comment on the matter.

Hey Kevin, I choose not to reserve comment so here it is; what kind of a useless toss are you that something like this could happen in your federation? Greg is a real life hero who is a shining example of what good can come through hard work and dedication. You aren’t just robbing him of an Olympic spot, a spot he earned, you are robbing him of hope. Hope is something all athletes or people faced with adversity hold dear as it drives them forward. You are also robbing the youth of a role model, aren’t too many of those out there nowadays especially in the lower income communities. But most importantly you are robbing all of us of great story that we can all take heart from.

I have a fairly good grasp on the English language Kevin, but when thinking of something to refer to you as all that comes to mind is ‘prick’. I hope you sleep well at night Kev, as someone that probably is without scruples, you sadly probably do.

Follow Greg on Twitter @oshushu , I’m sure the guy would appreciate some words of support right now.