'I never thought I'd be in this position' - Athletes are hopeful as government promises support at Project 350 North West launch

Attended by the energetic Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie and the MEC for the North West Department of Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Galerekwe Tsotso Virginia Tlhapi the provincial launch of the Project 350 took place amid much fanfare at the Lekwena Wildlife Estate 10km outside Potchefstroom last Thursday 19 June. This launch follows McKenzie's announcement of the national Project 350 whose aim is to have no less than 350 athletes representing South Africa at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. While the exact mechanics of this new programme remain unclear, it is understood that in order to increase the number of SA participants at the next Olympics from 149 at Paris 2024 to 350 in 2028, Project 350 has handpicked hundreds promising athletes nationwide who will be given both financial and technical support to ensure that the ambitious target s met.

Also in attendance was Athletics South Africa (ASA) High Performance Manager Hezekiel Sepeng. The Olympic 800m silver medalist whose talent was discovered at Potch Boys over 30 years ago, understands all too well what it takes to deliver a world class performance on the biggest stage of them all. Sepeng prised the initiative saying the financial support made available by the government will allows the mother body of athletics in SA to provide technical support while keeping an eye on athletes that have been identified as LA2028 Olympians.

From Left: ACNW President and head of the Potch Track Club Jean Verster, Sepeng, MEC Tlhapi and MC Thabo Molete at the North West launch of Project 350. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"This is a super project for the athlete and ASA is part of it here in the North West province through our provincial federations in Athletics Central North West (ACNW) in Potchefstroom and Athletics North West North (ANWN) in Rustenburg. We are going to assist in the monitoring of all these athletes to make sure that they perform come LA2028. So ours is not to give financial assistance but to lend our technical expertise to these athletes so that they can perform when it counts," he explained.

One of the beneficiaries of the North West arm of project 350 is Keanu Domingo. Originally haling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, the 23-year-old grew up watching SA Champion Melikhaya Frans winning races in his hometown which inspired him to pursue a career as a top runner. Now a final year Labour Relations and Psychology student at the North West University, Domingo has blossomed under the guidance of coach Jean Verster and senior members of the Potchefstroom Track Club including three-time Olympian Elroy Gelant and former SA 3000m record holder Jerry Motsau. 

Domingo on the way to winning on the the Klein Karoo Street Mile with an impressive time of 3:53.5. on 16 December, 2024. Photo Credit: Klein Karoo Street Mile.

Domingo has enjoyed tremendous improvement this year, setting personal bests over 5000m (13:57.16) to win the University Sports South Africa (USSA) title, 3000m (7:49.69) and his specialist 1500m (3:36.78), where he claimed the bronze medal at the ASA Senior Track & Field Championships. Having qualified for the World Student Games which take place in Germany next month, Domingo has now realised that he has an outside chance of qualifying for a maiden World Championships in Tokyo in September, which are all important stepping stones towards his ultimate goal of representing the country at the Olympic Games in Los Angles in three years' time.

"The biggest contributor to our success this season has been transparency with our coach and being open with our goals," he told #TheTopRunner. "So far we've qualified for the World Students, but we've decided that Tokyo is a very real possibility. That’s the short term goal, but obviously the long term goal is that we are thinking of 2028. It's nothing that I'm not capable of doing. I never thought I'd be in this position so I'm very happy abut that."