Men’s cycling team to stay home

Cycling SA have confirmed that the South African men’s road team will miss the Commonwealth games in Glasgow next month.

CSA has launched an urgent appeal with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympics Committee (Sascoc), after an elite men’s road cycling team was omitted from the list of competitors for Scotland, which was released by Sascoc earlier this month.

The Olympic body, however, gave a final verdict relating to the appeal and went along with its decision not to include the men’s road team in its final list of competitors.

“The appeal, although considered, was not approved due to the fact that the individual ranking did not meet the agreed upon selection criteria,” CSA said in a statement.

“Cycling SA accepts the decision and will support those athletes who have been selected to represent our nation and country with pride.”

According to the selection criteria, all individual athletes and sports teams  eligible for the Games had to be ranked in the top five in the Commonwealth to be considered for final selection.

Sascoc’s president Gideon Sam said that, “the woman’s team had one woman ranked in the top five, and made it on those grounds, knowing they would build around this one cyclist.

“The men, however, did not have anyone ranked in the top five and, therefore, could not be included in the South African team for the Games.”