Team South Africa must not return home from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, this year lower than fifth on the medal rankings.
This was the message of the president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), Gideon Sam, at the official send-off function for Team South Africa at the Sefako Makgatho presidential guest house on Tuesday.
Sam was the first of three speakers of a delegation led by the deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who attended a reception for South Africa’s team of 187 sportsmen and women on the eve of their departure to Scotland where they will represent the country in the Commonwealth Games.
He pointed to South Africa’s traditional tussle with India for the fifth place in the medal rankings and urged the team to beat India this year.
In his message to the participants, the minister of sport, Fikile Mbalula, said South Africa had a proud record at the games since returning to the Commonwealth and he challenged the team to improve on past performances. He also challenged the team to show the world that it could expect a different South African team in two years time at the Olympics. Ramaphosa praised the team for the important role they played to unite South Africans over the past 20 years. He referred to sport as the glue that keeps the South African nation together, despite their obvious differences. Ramaphosa also pointed out that the team would leave the country for Scotland in Mandela Month and close to Mandela Day and he asked them to do their part for the country at the games in the spirit of Mandela Day.
“Go and remind the world who you are – you are South Africans and the world should know that South Africans is a formidable nation who can assert itself at all levels…” Ramaphosa said.
After the formal proceedings, Ramaphosa insisted on personally shaking the hand of each of the 187 team members, after which he and the minister of sport posed for a photo with the team.
