Team SA Announced for 2019 African Games

A squad of 153 athletes and officials will fly South Africa’s flag high at this year’s 12^th edition of the African Games to be held in Morocco from 16-31 August.

The team will have representation in 11 out of 26 sporting codes being contested at the games.

As per the norm at the African Games, Team SA’s biggest contingent will come from athletics with a total of 38 athletes followed by Swimming with a total of 24 athletes. Other codes that will form part of the team are: archery, badminton, canoeing, cycling, judo, table tennis, tennis, beach volleyball, and weightlifting.

Previously known as All Africa games, the African Games is an important multi-coded event and the highest pinnacle of continental games held every four years – one year before the Olympic Games.

At the former games in Congo Brazzaville, 2015, Team SA performed exceptionally and won a total of 122 medals, 41 gold, 41 silver and 40 bronze placing third on the medal table.

The team is a great blend of experienced athletes who have performed well at the highest level in different international events.

110m and 400m hurdlers Antonio Alkana and Lindsey Hanekom will spearhead a powerful men’s athletics team. Zeney Van Der Walt and Sunette Viljoen will be leading a powerful women’s athletics team. These four are ranked 1^st in the continent in their respective events.

South African sprint canoer and London 2012 Bronze medallist, Bridgitte Hartley will be the most experienced leading the strong canoeing team.

Swimming boasts an experienced team with the likes of Michael Houlie, flag bearer and gold medallist at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and bronze medallist at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

In addition, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Mona Pretorius will be part of the weightlifting team.

SASCOC President, Gideon Sam commented: “African Games is a very important event in our calendar, the highest pinnacle of competition in the continent. As these Games come a year before Olympics, it is a benchmark for our athletes on their road to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Previously we have sent a big team of almost 300 athletes, but as highlighted before, this year it will be impossible to send a team of 300 people due to financial constraints. However, though the team is lean, it is a strong team of experienced athletes and we mostly included the athletes who will use these games as a qualifier for Olympic Games.”

“Take these Games with the seriousness they deserve and give it your all as you will face much more competition in Tokyo. Congratulations to the team on your selection and we wish you well in Morocco,” concluded Mr Sam.

The Cycling team is being finalised and will be announced in due course.

 

The full team is as follows:

 

NAME	SURNAME	GENDER
ARCHERY
Rhyn	Potgieter	Male
Vivien	De Klerk	Male
Morgan	Blewett	Male
Carien	Whitehead	Female
COACHES AND MANAGEMENT
Johan	Steyn	Male
ATHLETICS
Emile	Erasmus	Male
Thandolwenkosi	Dlodlo	Male
Chederick	Van Wyk	Male
Gardeo	Isaacs	Male
Thapelo	Phora	Male
Derick	Mokaleng	Male
Ashley	Hlongwane	Male
Ranti	Dikgale	Male
Tshepo	Tshite	Male
Ruan	De Vries	Male
Antonio	Alkana	Male
Lindsey	Hanekom	Male
Sokwakhana	Zazini	Male
Mpho	Links	Male
Breyton	Poole	Male
Wayne	Snyman	Male
Orazio	Cremona	Male
Kyle	Blignaut	Male
Victor	Hogan	Male
Tebogo	Mamatu	Female
Tamzin	Thomas	Female
Justine	Palframan	Female
Danel	Holton	Female
Taylon	Bield	Female
Zeney	Van Der Walt	Female
Wenda	Nel	Female
Julia	Du Plessis	Female
Linique	Beneke	Female
Zinzi	Chabangu	Female
Patience	Ntshingila	Female
Ischke	Senekal	Female
Meike	Strydom	Female
Yolandi	Stander	Female
Margo-Chene	Pretorius	Female
Marga	Cumming	Female
Sunette	Viljoen	Female
Jo-Ane	Van Dyk	Female
COACHES AND MANAGEMENT
John	Mathane	Male
Paul	Gorries	Male
Irma	Reyneke	Female
DP	Badenhost	Male
BADMINTON
Ruan	Snyman	Male
Bongani	Von Bodenstein	Male
Jared	Elliot	Male
Sean	Noone	Male
Jason	Mann	Male
Johanita	Scholtz	Female
Megan	De Beer	Female
Leah	Schoeman	Female
COACHES AND MANAGEMENT
Stewart	Carson	Male
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Grant	Goldschmidt	Male
Leo	Williams	Male
COACH AND MANAGEMENT
Gershon	Rorich	Male
CANOEING
Esti	Van Tonder	Female
Donna	Hutton	Female
Bridgitte	Hartley	Female
Nosipho	Mthembu	Female
Chrisjan	Coetzee	Male
Alex	Masina	Male
Louis	Hattingh	Male
Jarryd	Gibson	Male
COACHES AND MANAGEMENT
Wayne	August	Male
Janet	Simpkins	Female
JUDO
Unelle	Snyman	Female
Genoray	Whitebooi	Female
Jasmine	Martin	Female
Siyabulela	Mabulu	Male
Devan	Stemmet	Male
COACHES AND MANAGEMENT
Nicola	Filipov	Male
Vivienne	Henry	Male
SWIMMING
Erin	Gallagher	Female
Kaylene	Corbett	Female
Jessica	Whelan	Female
Sinelithemba	Mbatha	Female
Emma	Chelius	Female
Carla Tina	Antonopoulos	Female
Samantha	Randle	Female
Christin	Mundell	Female
Kerryn	Herbst	Female
Michael	Houlie	Male
Michael	McGlynn	Male
Christopher	Reid	Male
Ryan	Coetzee	Male
Douglas	Erasmus	Male
Alaric	Basson	Male
Alard	Basson	Male
Roberto	Gomes	Male
Brent	Szurdoki	Male
Neil	Fair	Male
Martin	Binedell	Male
Mohammad	Warley	Male
Bradley	Tandy	Male
Ayrton	Sweeney	Male
Eben	Vorster	Male
COACHES AND MANAGEMENT
Nonkululeko	Mngadi	Female
Graham	Hill	Male
Debbie	McLeod	Female
Mark	Edge	Male
TABLE TENNIS
Danisha	Patel	Female
Simeen	Mookrey	Female
Palesa	Mtshoelibe	Female
Mthabiseng	Mtshoelibe	Female
Kurt	Lingeveldt	Male
Theo	Cogill	Male
Byrone	Abrahams	Male
Cade	Peters	Male
COACHES AND MANAGERS
Omar	Zaineddin	Male
Ashlyn	Wagner	Male
TENNIS
Chanel	Simmonds	Female
COACHES AND MANAGERS
Asnath	Sebati	Female
WEIGHTLIFTING
Johani	Taljaard	Female
Mona	Pretorius	Female
Lyle	Du Plooy	Male
COACHES AND MANAGER
Stephen	Cupido	Male

 Issued by SASCOC