Yesterday, javelin silver medallist Sunette Viljoen complained about it on Twitter.
Sascoc president Gideon Sam initially refused to be drawn into the furious debate over what some have called the worst apparel yet donned by an SA team at the Olympics.
But yesterday he came out in defence of Chinese kit sponsor 361-Degrees.
“I don’t want to talk about the tracksuits‚” Sam said at first. “In terms of the colour [of the kit]‚ that we can talk about.”
If the critics wanted the kit to change‚ he said, they would have to better the monetary injection 361-Degrees was putting into Team SA.
“In terms of who is responsible for it‚ [it is] the person with the money‚” Sam said.
“It started off with Erke [at the 2012 Olympics].
“Now it is 361-Degrees‚ and they have the money.
“If you have R25-million, are you going to allow someone else to dictate to you?
“You won’t. It’s your money. Nobody can dictate how they should do it.
“Erke started off by saying: ‘Guys, nobody wants to help you in your country‚ come to us‚ here’s R20-million – we will give it to every team you put on the field’.”
Sam said he had noted public concern about the kit and had discussed the issue with Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula.
They agreed that in future the colour and cut of the tracksuits would need to be discussed with all stakeholders.
The contract with 361-Degrees runs until the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
