Xasa shoots down medals target

Team SA encouraged to just represent with pride

Sport minister Tokozile Xasa is of the opinion that setting the county’s Youth Olympic Games team medals target might put them under pressure, absolving the young athletes to just represent the country with pride.

The Youth Olympic Games will be hosted by Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Saturday until October 18. Michael Houlie, 17, will be the flag bearer for Team SA, who departed yesterday.

“I do not put numbers in terms of medals. What’s important is that these young people must represent their country with pride. Setting medal target can put the team under a lot of pressure unnecessarily,” said Xasa at the team’s send-off function at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday.

The minister also provided an update on the rather controversial SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee inquiry, confirming that the report was still being analysed internally before it is made public.

“We have received the report of the inquiry. In terms of our internal processes, we have circulated it for comment to our investigating body. We’ve given them about 14 days to look into it,” Xasa revealed

Team SA will be represented in 19 different sporting codes: aquatics (diving and swimming), archery, athletics, canoeing, climbing, dance sport, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, hockey, modern pentathlon, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.