Local stars set to feature in the Olympics
JOBURG – Can this year's SA Olympic team win more than the 10 medals won at the 2012 London Olympic Games?
Local residents and students to represent the country in the Tokyo Olympic games.
After having been postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Olympic Games will be held and hosted in Toyko, Japan between July 23 and August 8. This year’s South African Olympic team features residents, students and sports stars known to the Northcliff Melville Times community.
The athletics team includes the likes of Cheswill Johnson, Ruswahl Samaai, Jason van Rooyen, along with local running favourites Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl. Both men’s and women’s hockey teams made it to the games with Erin Christie, Lisa Deetlefs, Robyn Johnson, Kristen Paton, Nomnikelo Veto and Toni Marks alongside head coach Robin van Ginkel and Taren Naidoo who will join the women’s team.
Garreth Ewing will be the head coach for the men’s side that will feature Clinton Panther. Ronald Brown will feature in the country’s sevens rugby team competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Randburg resident and cyclist marvel Johan Spies and Newlands-based gymnastics star Caitlin Rooskrantz will fly the SA flag high in their respective sports.
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee acting CEO Ravi Govender expressed his delight at the team that will be representing South Africa. “The four years lengthened further by the postponement of the games due to the Covid-19 pandemic has not been easy for our athletes. It therefore gives me great joy and a sense of national pride to be part of this moment, as we celebrate the achievements of our athletes in qualifying to represent our nation as Team SA at the Tokyo Olympics. We call upon our entire nation to support our athletes as they give of their best at these prestigious games to bring us honour.”
It is the second time this city hosts the Olympics and this year’s games will feature a record 33 competitions and 339 events held across 42 competition venues. The opening and closing ceremonies will take place at the 68 000-seat capacity New National Stadium, which was the main stadium for the Tokyo Olympic Games hosted in 1964.
