Commonwealth Games 2018: TeamSA names strong contingent

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) announced a large contingent of South African athletes for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.

South African athletes will compete across a number of sporting codes ranging from athletes to boxing and even lawn bowls with aquatics making up the biggest number of participants (28). A number of para-athletes will also join the squad on the Australian Gold Coast for the event from 4-15 April 2018.

Aquatics also boasts the two youngest members of the team, with Luan Grobbelaar and Dune Coetzee, both aged 15 while lawn bowler, Princess Schreuder, at 67, is the oldest competitor in the team.

Notably absent from the men's athletics squad is golden boy Wayde van Niekerk, who will not compete as a result of injury.

Familiar names include Rio Olympics gold medallist Caster Semenya, silver medallist swimmers Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos, field athletes Luvo Manyonga and Sunette Viljoen and bronze medallists Henri Schoeman (triathlon) and the men’s rugby sevens side. Both the men's and women’s hockey teams, who did not feature at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will make the trip to Australia.

While the boost in numbers for female swimmers is encouraging – South Africa sent no women to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – just four women will represent South Africa in athletics compared to the 10 athletes who travelled to Rio. Sascoc has not clarified its selection criteria so it is unclear why only four women made the cut for the athletics team.

South Africa finished seventh at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and while Sascoc president Gideon Sam was coy about a medal target, he did say the team wants to target finishing at least fifth.

Since readmission, South Africa has sent teams to six Commonwealth Games starting with the 1994 Games in Victoria, British Colombia. During this period they have finished fifth on the medals table on three occasions (Kuala Lumpur, 1998; Melbourne, 2006; and New Delhi, 2010).

And if you’re wondering what the team will be wearing, well Sport Minister Thulas Nxesi quipped: “ (We will) Make sure the athletes lack for nothing, no more dodgy tracksuits.” DM

Full list of athletes representing South Africa at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Swimming

Women: Erin Gallagher, Tatjana Schoenmaker, Dune Coetzee, Kate Beavon, Kaylene Corbett, Emily Visagie, Marlies Ross, Nathania van Niekerk, Kristin Bellingan, Mariella Venter and Emma Chelius

Men: Ayrton Sweeney, Cameron van der Burgh, Chad le Clos, Jarryd Baxter, Brad Tandy, Brent Szurdoki, Martin Binedell, Ryan Coetzee, Eben Vorster, Luan Grobbelaar, Calvyn Justus and Michael Houlie.

Para-swimming: Christian Sadie, Kaleb van der Merwe

Diving: Nicole Gillis, Micaela Bouter, Julia Vincent

Athletics

Women: Caster Semenya, Sunette Viljoen and Wenda Nel.

Men: Akani Simbine, Antonio Alkana, Constant Pretorius, LJ van Zyl, Lebogang Shange, Wayne Snyman, Luvo Manyonga, Ruswahl Samaai, Phil-Mar Janse van Rensburg and Breyton Poole.

Para-athletics: Women: Juanelie Meijer

Men: Ndodomzi Ntutu, Hilton Langenhoven, Dyan Buis, Charl du Toit, Union Sekailwe, Reinhardt Hamman and Juanre Jenkinson

Badminton

Women: Elsie de Villiers, Johanita Scholtz and Michelle Butler-Emmett

Men: Bongani von Bodenstein, Cameron Coetzer and Prakash Vijayanath

Boxing

Siyabulela Mphongoshi and Sinethemba Blom.

Cycling

Road:

Women: Ashleigh Moolman Pasio

Men: Willie Smit, Nicholas Dlamini, Clint Hendricks and Brendon Davids

Track:

Women: Charlene du Preez, Elfriede Wolfaardt, Ilze Bole, Danielle van Niekerk and Adelia Neethling

Men: Steven van Heerden, Nolan Hoffmann, David Maree, Joshua van Wyk andGert Fouchè

Mountain biking

Women: Mariske Strauss and Cherie Redecker

Men: Alan Hatherly

Hockey

Men's team: Gowan Jones, Siyavuya Nolutshungu, Daniel Bell, Jethro Eustice, Gareth Heyns, Tyson Dlungwana, Austin Smith, Daniel Sibbald, Timothy Drummond, Reza Rosenburg, Ryan Julius, Owen Mvimbi, Clinton Panther, Nqobile Ntuli, Abdud-?Dayaan Cassiem, Keenan Horne, Tevin Kok and Ryan Crowe.

Women’s team: Phumelela Mbande, Nicole la Fleur, Erin Hunter, Nicole Walraven, Lisa-?Marie Deetlefs, Celia Evans, Nicolene Terblanche, Shelley Jones, Quanita Bobbs, Kristen Paton, Ilse Davids, Stephanie Baxter, Ongeziwe Mali, Dirkie Chamberlain, Candice Manuel, Sulette Damons, Jade Mayne and Bernadette Coston.

Lawn Bowls

Women: Elma Davis, Esme Kruger, Nicolene Neal, Colleen Piketh and Johanna Snyman

Men: Gerald Baker, Petrus Breitenbach, Jason Evans, Josephus Jacobs and Morgan Muvhango

Para-lawn Bowls

Women: Princess Schroeder

Director: Annatjie van Rooyen

Men: Tobias Botha, Willem Viljoen, Christopher Patton and Philippus Walker

Director: Graham Ward

Netball

Bongiwe Msomi, Karla Pretorius, Erin Burger, Izette Griesel, Maryka Holtzhausen, Danelle Lochner, Phumza Maweni, Precious Mthembu, Shadine van der Merwe, Ine-?Mari Venter, Zanele Vimbela and Lenize Potgieter

Rugby Sevens

Men’s team: To be announced end of February

Women’s team: Nadine Roos, Eloise Webb, Unathi Mali, Rights Mkhari, Zintle Mpupha, Veroeshka Grain, Zenay Jordaan, Marithy Pienaar, Mathrin Simmers, Christelene Steinhobel, Chane Stadler and Zinthle Ndawonde

Shooting

Bartholomeus Pienaar, Pierre Basson, Arno Haasbroek and Andre du Toit.

Triathlon

Women: Gillian Sanders and Simone Ackermann.

Men: Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman and Wian Sullwald.

Weightlifting

Johanni Taljaard, Mona Pretorius and Celestie Engelbrecht

Wrestling

Jan Louwrens Combrinck, Terry van Rensburg, Johannes Botha, Michael Gaitskill and Martin Erasmus.

Para-Powerlifting

Ricardo Fitzpatrick

Para-Table Tennis

Theo Cogill

Photo: Caster Semenya of South Africa celebrates after winning the women's 800m final at the London 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, Britain, 13 August 2017. Photo: EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON