South Africa dominates AUSC Region 5 Youth Games

The cream of South Africa’s future athletics stars closed off a highly successful 11th African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games, in Namibia, on Sunday, where they topped the medals table. Team South Africa was represented by 198

athletes across 13 different sporting codes and surpassed their achievement at the 10th such Games in Lilongwe, Malawi in 2022.

While the medals won by Team SA in competition in Windhoek and Swakopmund was a big talking point, arguably the most important aspect of these Games is that they are the launch pad to higher profile competitions, with a few of the athletes representing South Africa for the first time ever in their earliest stages of their careers.

Getting exposure to tough international competition at a young age will prove to be of huge benefit for these athletes. Several of South Africa’s successful past and current athletes had their first taste of multi-coded international competition at the Region 5 Youth Games.

In praising the achievements of the Team SA athletes, the president of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC), Barry Hendricks, said: “What we witnessed in Namibia was truly exceptional. Our young athletes didn’t just win medals – they demonstrated the character, discipline and sporting excellence that defines South African sport at its best.

“These Games serve as a crucial springboard in our athlete development pathway. The experience gained here, competing against the region’s finest young talent, is indispensable preparation for the global stage. I have no doubt that many of these athletes will go on to represent South Africa at World Championships, Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and other premier international competitions. This is where champions are forged,” Hendricks added.

The CEO of SASCOC, Nozipho Jafta, emphasised that these Games provided an opportunity to benchmark Team SA’s athletes against the best in the region. “It is heartwarming to see us perform so well against nine other countries. It shows that our National Federations’ programmes are proving successful and that we are identifying the talent that will carry us into the future. While the elite athletes are the ones who get most of the public’s attention, these are the stars of tomorrow and I am very confident that we’re in good hands.”

Chemene Mentz, who won two gold medals on the track, spoke on behalf of the athletes before they departed for South Africa. “These Games are such an important part in our career paths. It is the first time we have represented Team SA on the international stage, and it has been a wonderful experience,” the 17-year-old said.

“It has given me the confidence to go into international competition next year, with the World Junior Athletics Championships, Youth Olympics and another Region 5 Games coming up. We really felt proud representing our country and making friends.”

SASCOC is committed to providing the necessary exposure to our young athletes, with the delivery of Team South Africa to the Youth-specific events on the horizon: the African Youth Games in December 2025, to be held in Angola; the next edition of the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games to be hosted in Mozambique in 2026; and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal in October 2026 – the first Olympic Games to be held on African soil.