Happy with the facilities at the 19th Commonwealth Games here, South Africa are keen to improve on their fifth-place finish Down Under four years ago. One of the strongest contingents at Delhi with 115 athletes, SA would be delighted to go back with a top-three standing, chef de mission Patience Martina Shikwambana said on Thursday.
“First thought is ... let’s retain our position,” Shikwambana said. “We were fifth at Melbourne. If there is any improvement, it will be a bonus. Two places up would be good.”
Impressed with the games village, she said, “It’s excellent. It’s clean. Obviously, the Indian authorities have worked very hard.”
Asked to elaborate upon the “challenges” the SA delegation had talked about after checking in a couple of days ago, Shikwambana said they would put forward their suggestions at the meeting of the Chefs de Mission slated for Friday.
“It’s not about attacking the OC,” she said. “It’s more about addressing issues. There is no point in whining or complaining. We also understand that it’s athletes responsibility to take care of themselves.”
Also praising the facilities were men’s hockey coach Gregg Cark, boxer Lebogang Pilane, weightlifter Babalwa Ndlelani, paralympic powerlifter Eugene Popav, netball captain Liezel Wium and chief medical officer Shuaib Manjra. “The training facilities are just perfect,” said Pilane, who expects to be among the medals in the flyweight category. “We are enjoying it here.”
At the 2006 games in Melbourne, SA came fifth winning a total of 38 medals including 12 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze medals. Australia, England, India and Canada had finished ahead of the Rainbow nation.
Delhi would mark the fifth occasion that SA is competing at the CWG since their re-entry into the Commonwealth in 1994.