Athletes parade the Team SA Commonwealth Games kit. Photo: Lebohang Pita
Team South Africa will return to the site of its second-most successful Commonwealth Games campaign next month when the quadrennial showpiece gets underway in Glasgow.
South Africa collected 40 medals when the Games were held in Glasgow in 2014, and South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Sascoc) president Barry Hendricks is confident Team SA can emulate that success when competition begins on July 23.
Sascoc president Barry Hendricks speaks during the Team SA Glasgow Commonwealth Games squad announcement. Photo: Lebohang Pita
The squad comprises 59 men and 53 women. Athletics contributes 25 athletes, including 2018 Commonwealth 100m champion Akani Simbine, while swimming has 21 representatives. Six para-athletes have also been selected.
The team was announced at a glitzy event at Sascoc House on June 24, where the team kit, designed by retailer Mr Price Sport, was also paraded.
“We are quite confident that we’ve put together a top-class quality squad that will make us proud at the Commonwealth Games,” said Hendricks.
Karabo More and Marlie Viljoen in the Team SA running kit for the Commonwealth Games. Photo: Lebohang Pita
The Sascoc president also announced financial incentives for medallists and coaches.
Individual gold medallists will each receive R100 000, while their coaches will earn R50 000.
Silver medallists will receive R50 000 and their coaches R10 000, while bronze medallists will earn R25 000 and their coaches R7 500.
In team sports and relays, each gold-medal-winning athlete will receive R25 000 and their coach R5 000.
Silver medallists will earn R12 500 and coaches R7 500, while bronze medallists will receive R6 250 and coaches R3 750.
Despite South Africa’s worst Commonwealth Games performance since returning to the event in 1994, when it collected 27 medals in Birmingham in 2022, Hendricks said no specific medal target has been set for the athletes.
“The mandate first and foremost is to go out there and do what you’ve been training for all these years, go out and compete to the best of your ability. Go and win those medals.
“You build South Africa’s pride not only by winning but by showing how well you compete, and then coming back and instilling hope and passion in the people who will be watching you perform. That’s how we develop and build our next level of champions.”
A squad of 112 athletes will represent the country at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Photo: Team SA
Asked whether South Africa’s hopes once again rested on athletics and swimming, which combined for 16 medals in Birmingham, Hendricks urged supporters to look beyond the traditional powerhouses.
“No, we did exceptionally well in cycling at the Olympics. Let’s look at it as a whole. Even in weightlifting, we stand a really good chance. Let’s focus on all of them as a realistic South African team,” he said.
Deputy Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Peace Mabe was more direct about the government’s expectations.
“They must win,” she said. “They must bring gold medals back. They’re not there to socialise or go on holiday. They are there to fight for the country, represent us and make the country proud.”
The Games are smaller than usual after Glasgow stepped in to rescue the event when Victoria, Australia, withdrew in 2023, citing financial constraints.
