Team SA will return next month to the site of their second-most successful Commonwealth Games campaign when the quadrennial showpiece gets underdog in Glasgow in Scotland, reports Heidelberg Nigel Heraut.

South Africa collected 40 medals when the Games were last held in Glasgow in 2014, and South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Sascoc) President Barry Hendricks is confident the nation can emulate that success when competition begins on July 23.

Hendricks unveiled a star-studded contingent of 112 athletes from 10 sporting codes, headlined by backstroke world champion Pieter Coetzé, who won gold, silver and bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Games and Olympic silver medallist Jo-Anè van Dyk.

The group comprises 59 men and 53 women. Athletics contributes 25 competitors, including 2018 Commonwealth 100m champion Akani Simbine, while swimming has 21 representatives. Six para-athletes have also been selected.

The line-up was announced at a glitzy event at Sascoc House on Wednesday (June 24), where the official 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.

Hendricks also announced financial incentives for podium finishers and coaches.

Individual gold winners 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 finishers 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 recipients will earn R12 500 and coaches R7 750, while bronze medallists will receive R6 250 and coaches R3 750.

No medal quotas, but expectations run high

Hendricks confirmed that no specific podium target has been set for the athletes, despite South Africa logging their worst Commonwealth Games display since 1994 with a low haul of 27 medals in Birmingham in 2022.

“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.”

Asked whether South Africa’s hopes once again rested solely 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 cut straight to the point regarding 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 have been scaled back after Glasgow stepped in to rescue the event following the withdrawal of Victoria, Australia, in 2023 due to financial constraints.

The opening ceremony will be held at the OVO Hydro Arena on July 23, with the Games concluding on August 2.

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