A strong squad of 198 athletes across 13 different sporting codes has been selected to represent Team SA at the upcoming 11th Region 5 Youth Games to be held in Namibia from 4-13 July. The Games were initially supposed to be held in December 2024 but they were postponed till now. It includes visually impaired athletes and Special Olympics athletes.
These Games began as a project by the African Union Sport Council and involves 10 countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Team SA has representation across athletics, visually impaired athletics, basketball, boxing, football, judo, karate, netball, Special Olympics (athletics), swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.
The last Region 5 Games were staged in Lilongwe, Malawi in 2022, where Team SA topped the medals table, bringing home 113 in total, 60 of them gold.
The South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) is responsible for delivering the squad to these multi-code Games, and the President of SASCOC, Mr Barry Hendricks, congratulated the 198 athletes (104 girls, 94 boys) who will be doing duty in Windhoek and Swakopmund.
Among the Team SA athletes who excelled at the Region 5 Games before going on to greater achievements include Olympic gold medallists Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya.
“As they don the Protea symbol and Team SA logo for the first time, many of these talented athletes will embark on a journey that will take them to new heights, proudly representing South Africa on the global stage.
“The Region 5 Games serve as a pivotal springboard for young athletes, catapulting them towards greatness and international acclaim in the African, Commonwealth, Olympic, and Paralympic arenas. These dedicated individuals are the epitome of South Africa’s vibrant diversity, and their participation marks the beginning of a bright new chapter in their careers as young ambassadors for the country.
“I am thrilled to witness SASCOC delivering a team that embodies the nation’s rich tapestry, and I have every confidence that they will make their mark on the world.” Hendricks added.
The Region 5 Youth Games features athletes under the age of 20.
For netball the following players and management will be representing Team South Africa.
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬
Kwezi Lubisi, Maria du Raan, Maria Louw, Jaime Matfield, Didintle Mocwiri, Lara Ehlers, Zahrah Noah, Kiara van Eeden, Kristen McGregor, Christi-Mari Coetzee, Sinegugu Gamede, Ametisse Bandu, Elri Jacobs, Olwethu Bayiso, Onalenna Diphoko
𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬/𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Emily Mathosa, Sasha-Lee Petersen, Malesego Lithuge
See the rest of Team South Africa’s squad here
