BuaNews (Tshwane)
Bathandwa Mbola
26 August 2008
Johannesburg — Long-jumper Khotso Mokoena, who clinched South Africa's only silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is half-a-million Rand richer today.
This from a financial incentive provided by financial institution Absa. The institution had offered a R500 000 incentive to South Africa's Olympic hopefuls, which was to be split among the medalists.
With Mokoena as the only medalist, having won silver in the long jump competition, he ensured he would be taking all the money on offer home to Rustenburg.
Speaking to BuaNews after the team returned on Tuesday, Mokoena said he will cherish the medal for the rest of his life.
"As for the money I'm going to blow it," he joked.
Speaking to BuaNews about his experience in the Olympics, he said from the start he knew he was going to bring home a medal.
"I'm very happy because I made my country proud. I went to the games hoping to get any medal, whether it was a bronze, silver or gold, I just wanted to do well," said Mokoena, who got sufficient momentum to reach 8.02m, and into the top five before he cut to the final eight.
The change in jumping order saw the 23-year-old hit the board squarely, launching him out to 8.24m to take the second lead.
He encouraged the South African team not to despair from the lack of medals.
"Every team member did their best. But you have to understand that we were competing at an international level," said Mokeona, adding that their preparation for the 2012 London games begins this year.
In congratulating Mokoena, Absa Executive Director for Marketing and Communication, Happy Ntshingila said Mokoena represented the emerging talent among the youth in the country.
"Absa is pleased to present this well-deserved reward to you for your hard work, dedication and outstanding achievement," he said.
Mr Ntshingila also congratulated the rest of Team SA for their efforts at such highly competitive games and emphasised that this should not be seen as failure on their part, but as a stepping stone to greater challenges ahead of them.
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