SA team ‘full of hope’ as Commonwealth Games gets under way
· Citizen
Though they will have fewer athletes competing in fewer codes than usual, the South African team are in the same boat as every other squad, and they will be confident of putting up a fight for another top-10 finish in the medals table at the Commonwealth Games.
At the last edition of the Games, in Birmingham in 2022, the SA team were represented by 217 athletes in 18 sports, but in Glasgow the squad includes 112 athletes in 10 sports (athletics, bowls, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo, netball, swimming, weightlifting and 3×3 basketball).
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However, the programme has been cut in half with organisers trying to save costs, and only 10 codes will be contested in Glasgow after 20 sports were held in Birmingham.
A number of young athletes will be making their debuts at the Games, but the SA team is also packed with experience.
Two swimmers – backstroke star Pieter Coetzé and breaststroke specialist Lara van Niekerk – will defend titles they won in Birmingham four years ago where they earned gold medals.
In addition, swimmer Chad le Clos and sprinter Akani Simbine have earned gold medals at previous editions of the quadrennial Games.
‘We go there full of hope’
With this mix of youth and experience, the SA squad will be aiming to achieve a top-10 finish in the overall medals table for the eighth successive edition of the multi-sport spectacle.
“It’s so exciting to see these athletes, a blend of youth and experience, all so eager to do their best for Team SA,” SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) chief executive Nozipho Jafta said ahead of the team’s departure earlier this week.
“We go there full of hope for these Games and we look forward to seeing their progress. It’s a lovely blend of athletes carrying the country’s hopes.”
Action gets underway
The 11-day Commonwealth Games officially started on Thursday, with the opening ceremony and first-round contests being held in some of the lawn bowls categories.
Wayne Rittmuller opened the SA team’s campaign, beating Harriman Yuen of Singapore 9-0 7-4 in his first-round men’s singles bowls match, while Thabelo Muvhango and Jacqui Janse van Rensburg lost their first women’s pairs match on a one-end tie-break as they were edged 4-7 7-1 (0-3) against Paris Baker and Milika Nathan of Tonga.
The action was set to heat up on Friday’s second day of competition, with South Africans participating in boxing, bowls, gymnastics, swimming and wheelchair basketball.