SASCOC gives Team SA freedom to shine at Commonwealth Games

Speaking to SABC Sport after unveiling a squad of 112 athletes for the Games, which will take place from 23 July to 2 August, Hendricks said the main focus is for athletes to enjoy the experience and perform without pressure.

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He believes a happy and relaxed team is more likely to deliver strong performances and bring home medals.

"The mandate first and foremost is to go out there and do what you have been training for - for all those years. Go out and compete and build South Africa's pride not only by winning but with how well you compete. That is how we build the next level of champions," said Hendricks.

 At the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Team South Africa returned with an impressive haul of 27 medals, made up of seven gold, nine silver and 11 bronze medals.Despite that success, Hendricks is not willing to predict how many medals the team could win in Glasgow. The SASCOC president says every Games is different and the goal is simply to give athletes the best opportunity to compete and perform at their highest level.

"It is almost impossible because we have got such a good squad and if one looks at the talent in the athletics, the swimming and also netball - there are some good prospects for us, so let's work with that - we have a talented squad, they should surprise us because we are providing them with incentives to do even better," added Hendricks.

While South Africa sent a team of 251 athletes to Birmingham in 2022, the squad for Glasgow is considerably smaller.

However, Hendricks insists the reduced numbers are not a concern, saying success is measured by quality performances and medals rather than the size of the squad. He remains confident that the selected athletes can make the country proud.

SASCOC has also introduced attractive financial incentives for medal winners in Glasgow. Individual gold medallists will receive R100,000, with their coaches earning R15,000. Silver medallists will pocket R50,000 and bronze medallists R25,000, while coaches will receive R10,000 and R5,000 respectively. Team and relay events will also be rewarded, marking the first time SASCOC has extended incentive payments to those categories. Hendricks says the move is aimed at recognising the efforts of all athletes and coaches who contribute to South Africa’s success on the international stage.

"I can’t give you the exact figures without having it in front of me, but we follow the same principle. We have to provide incentives to athletes because of their hard work and the sacrifices their  parents have put into developing them. We are also proud that we will be focusing on team incentives as well, which is something we didn't do in the past," he expressed.