By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A squad of 226 athletes and 45 officials will represent South Africa at this year’s 13th edition of the African Games to be held in Accra, Ghana from 8-23 March.
South Africa will participate for the eighth time at the African Games, since returning from isolation.
Team SA will be represented across 18 different sports in Ghana, including, for the first time at a multi-code Games, Arm Wrestling and Cricket. Eight of these sporting codes (Athletics, Badminton, Cycling, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Triathlon and Wrestling) are Paris 2024 Olympics qualification events.
At the last African Games held in Rabat, Morocco, in 2019 South Africa achieved a total of 86 medals (36 Gold, 26 Silver and 24 Bronze) across 11 different sporting codes, finishing 4th on the medals table.
The sports with the most representatives in the team going to Ghana are Athletics (41), Hockey (36 involving the men and women), 29 from Cricket (also men’s and women’s teams), 26 from Swimming and 10 from Cycling.
“These Games are vitally important to Team SA and we are fully committed to sending the best available team to Ghana, “said SASCOC president Barry Hendricks.
“It is a big squad that shows the commitment South Africa has to competing in the major African events, while also providing opportunities for athletes to compete at the highest level. We congratulate each and every member of the squad on their selection.
“The African Games have historically been a successful springboard for Team SA athletes who have gone on to claim world championship and international glory. All of Penny Heyns (six golds in 1995 Harare and 1999 Johannesburg), Chad le Clos (9 golds across Maputo in 2011 and Brazzaville in 2015) and Caster Semenya (gold in 2015 in Brazzaville), were some of the African Games champions who were also Olympic gold medallists,” Hendricks added.
These Games in Ghana were scheduled for the second half of 2023, but were postponed until 2024 due to unforeseen circumstances.
The team will depart from South Africa at staggered intervals, with the first code leaving on 27 February and the larger contingent departing on 5 March.
Here is the list of all the Athletes:African Games in Ghana Squad.