Eight Bay athletes named for Games squad
[caption id="attachment_35372" align="alignright" width="120"] ANASO JOBODWANA[/caption]
THE South African team announced yesterday for the 2014 Commonwealth Games must surely rank as the fastest national squad ever assembled.
Springbok flyer Bryan Habana and ace sprinters Anaso Jobodwana and Simon Magakwe were yesterday named in the SA squad of 187 for the Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3.
A total of eight Port Elizabeth sportsmen and women have been included in the team, led by experienced cyclist Anriette Schoeman, who will be attending her third Commonwealth event.
Schoeman will set a record by becoming the first SA female cyclist to attend three Games, having previously competed in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and New Delhi in 2010.
She is joined in the cycling team by track expert Kellan Gouveris, a former Pearson pupil who is now riding professionally for Abantu.
Gouveris will be making his first trip to the Games, as will para-bowler Gwen Nel, who will be accompanied by her assistant, Geoff Newcombe.
Two NMMU netball players, Zanele Mdodana and Zanele Vimbela, have been named in the netball team, while sevens rugby star Cecil Afrika will be aiming to improve on their bronze medal showing in New Delhi.
In the sport of weightlifting, Port Elizabeth will be represented by Mona Pretorius.
The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee is targeting 15 golds – SA's previous Commonwealth best is 12 – and president Gideon Sam sweetened the deal by announcing that R1.2-million had been budgeted to reward medallists.
Sascoc will pay athletes R40000 for each gold, R20000 for silver and R7500 for bronze, and their coaches will score up to R10000 a gold.
Habana is one of three Boks who will compete in the sevens rugby tournament, alongside Schalk Brits and Cornal Hendricks.
There had been doubt over Jobodwana after he had struggled with an undetected hernia until having surgery recently.
He was picked for the men's 4x100m relay, which is a medal contender.
Swimming stars Chad Le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh will lead SA's medal charge. - David Isaacson
