SASCOC announces Team SA squad for 2025 World Games

Team South Africa will be represented by a squad of 20 athletes across eight sports at the 12th edition of The World Games in Chengdu, China from 7-17 August. The World Games is a multi-sport event for several sports and disciplines that are not in the program of the Olympic Games, with the event taking place every four years.

President of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC), Barry Hendricks, wished the athletes well ahead of their trip to China. “It’s always a huge honour representing one’s country on the international stage. I always say to athletes that they have earned the right to be competing at these kinds of events and that they must use the competition as an overall life experience as well.

“Any time an athlete represents Team SA they become ambassadors on and off the playing field. They will form new friendships, be exposed to different cultures and ultimately make life memories. I am confident that this group of athletes will be proud ambassadors in Chengdu,” Hendricks added.

The World Games were first held in Santa Clara, USA, in 1981 and the most recent were in Birmingham, USA, in 2022. There, Team SA returned with one medal – a gold by canoeist Andy Birkett – with a similar-sized squad, 21 athletes over 10 sports.

Included in this year’s team are three Paris Olympians – canoeing’s Hamish Lovemore, sport climbing’s Joshua Bruyns and Aniya Holder.

The World Games constitution states that the event was created to strengthen the bonds between International Sports Federations and to promote excellence in sport.

It was created to promote and coordinate World Championships and other competitions into an international, modern, multisport festival.

This is the ninth World Games attended by Team SA, with the first being in 1993 in The Hague, Netherlands. Across those eight previous Games, Team SA has won 20 medals, with the most at the 1997 World Games in Lahti, Finland.

There will be 110 countries competing at the Games in Chengdu, totaling around 5 000 athletes.

ARCHERY (3)

Men: Hendre Verhoef, Septimus Cilliers

Women: Jeanine Van Kradenburg

Management: Gerda Roux

CANOEING (2)

Men: Hamish Lovemore

Women: Saska Hockly

Management: Nkosi Mzolo

KICKBOXING (5)

Men: Ahmad Mahomed, Matthew Gething, Muhammad Mia

Women: Leanne Van der Mescht, Saentone Louw

Management: Aslam Mahomed, Shabnum Mia

MUAYTHAI (1)

Men: Damian Collins

Management: Brett Clarke

ORIENTEERING (1)

Women: Sarah Wimberley

Management: Garry Morrison

POWERLIFTING (2)

Men: Harold Pietersen

Women: Megan Faul

Management: Andrew Ludick, Rodney Anthony

SPORT CLIMBING (4)

Men: Joshua Bruyns, John-David Muller

Women: Aniya Holder, Tegwen Oates

Management: Dean Bruyns

SQUASH (2)

Men: Dewald van Niekerk

Women: Hayley Ward

Management: Jean-Pierre Brits