Military Pentathlon in South Africa

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The Beginning International Activities The Future Structure of Military Pentathlon in SA The Training of the National Squad Facilities and Equipment South African Military Pentathlon Logo South African Records National Championships Team Results at International Competitions

The Beginning

The year 1995 was in more than one way very important for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Not only was South Africa welcomed back into the international military sports arena with their participation in the 1^st Military World Games in Rome, but there the South African observers also saw for the first time a completely new sport.

They were so impressed, that they recommended to the then Chief of the Army Lt Gen R. Otto, that Military Pentathlon should become a sport in the South African Army. This led to the appointment of Lt Col Johan Zietsman as the chairman for the development of this sport. In August 1996 Lt Col Zietsman was sent as an observer to the World Championships in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. After he came back work really started on ground level.

In 1997 Lt Col Schreuder le Roux and Maj Maruis Gouws came on board to form the executive committee of this sport. In February 1997 we were privileged to host the Austrian team in Heidelberg and Potchefstroom where the first training clinic was presented. During this year, the first obstacle courses were constructed and the sport really started to take off. Lt Col Zietsman again attended the World Championships, this time at Kristinehamn in Sweden. Coming back it was decided that the only way to fully develop the sport was through international participation. That chance came in 1998 when a South African Military Pentathlon team participated for the first time in an international competition, in Arlon, Belgium.

Since then the team not only had the opportunity to train in Austria, Germany and The Netherlands, but they also participated in the World Championships from 1999 onwards.

In 2000 Brig Gen J. Jooste was appointed as the patron for the sport. This ensured that Military Pentathlon was established as an integral part of the SA Army and the South African National Defence Force.

International Activities

The Future

The SANDF has taken a principle decision in October 2002 that Military Pentathlon will be an integral part of the training curricula of all soldiers with the exception of the SA Navy who would use Naval Pentathlon as their primary skills enhancement program. This decision had an enormous effect at all levels of training, being that all training curricula should be adapted to accommodate Military Pentathlon as a basic skills enhancement tool by July 2003. Simultaneous to this, instructors at training institutions are trained in the basic skills of Military Pentathlon, existing facilities are upgraded and at predetermined venues new facilities are built.

South Africa will host the second International Military Pentathlon Competition in April 2004 at Bloemfontein, and will participate with male and female athletes. This activity in conjunction with the SANDF championships in November 2003 will also be used to identify new athletes, which needs to take the sport into the future. It is intended to participate in the 2004 World Championship with male and female athletes. The newly identified athletes will also be exposed to international competitions to prepare them for future World Championships.

South Africa will also continue their initiatives into Africa with specific reference to Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia. It is extremely important that more countries in Africa become involved in Military Pentathlon for the survival of the Sport in Africa. Financial constraints and the need for those countries to participate in future World Championships make this option more and more important.

Structure of South African Military Pentathlon

Click on the picture to enlarge

The Training of the National Squad

Athletes in the national squad normally train on their own, but attend every second month a weekend training camp to be tested and guided technically. A team of specialists consisting of the Team Coach, a Biokineticist, a Dietician, a Medical Doctor, a Physiotherapist, and a Sport Psychologist as well as Special Coaches for running, swimming and throwing coordinate all training schedules. Athletes in the national squad may train in official working hours but in the PT periods. However, at least two months before the national team departs for the World Championships, the team trains together full time under the guidance of the Team Coach in Bloemfontein.

Facilities and Equipment

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Weapons

The standard rifle used in the SANDF for local competitions is the R4 Assault Rifle. The national team had to share weapons with the 300m CISM shooting athletes and were only able to use the rifles for the duration of the competition until 2002. At the end of 2002, it was decided that Military Pentathlon would get 6 rifles permanently allocated to them. The type of rifle is Grunnig-Elmiger 7.62 mm (.308). All competition ammunition is imported, while training ammunition is locally manufactured.

South African Military Pentathlon Logo

1997 – 1999 The logo was designed by Maj M.Gouws and was deemed appropriate at the time to identify Military Pentathlon in the SA Army. However, it soon became apparent that members of the SA Air Force, SA Army, SA Navy and SA Medical Health Services would also be participating in the sport.

 

2000 – 2002 This logo was taken from examples of logos in Europe with specific reference to the Belgium emblem being used in 1998 at the European Championship at Arlon. It was the view that this emblem depicted the Military Pentathlon sport most appropriate and this would be an appealing emblem to promote the sport in the RSA. This logo also made it possible for all members of the South African National Defence Force to associate with it.

Since 2003

The basic elements of the image are:

• A rising sun with five points (shows the rise of the sport in Africa with specific reference to the RSA and the five disciplines of Military Pentathlon)

• The five disciplines of Military Pentathlon depicted in true South African indigenous art:
  left to right: Throwing - Obstacle Running - Shooting (depicted in its most primitive start being a bow and arrow) -
                     Cross Country Running - Obstacle Swimming

• The South African flag to identify the country

• A description bar of the sport discipline

• An inclination bar to identify the ethnic diversity in participation of the sport in the RSA

National Championships

Team Results at International Competitions