Team SA borrow expertise from SAFA

SAFA chief medical officer Thulani Ngwenya has revealed to SABC Sport he will be out of his comfort zone over the next three weeks. 

He is taking up a similar role for Team South Africa ahead of this month™s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham between 28 July to 8 August. 

Ngwenya will lead a team of several highly qualified doctors, who will be responsible for 251 athletes going to the multi-coded competition, and while he admits the doctors will be stretched, he is confident they are up for the challenge to do their part in aiming for medals.

"I'm the Chief Medical Officer of Team South Africa - my role is to oversee everything that is medical-related, and I'm going there not only as a doctor but head of the medical team," Ngwenya said.

"Yes, I specialise in football but I'm a qualified sports physician, meaning I take care of everything that is under sport, whether cricket, rugby, or hockey, it doesn't matter.

"Besides, this is not my first multi-coded event. I was Chief Medical Officer last year during the Region 5 games and I went to the Commonwealth [Games] in Australia in 2018.

"So, I'm quite vested and I'm actually looking forward to it because it's more interesting, it takes me a little bit out of my comfort zone, which is football that I understand better than any other code."

By Mazola Molefe