Team SA brings home a total of 113 medals, 60 of which were gold, showing just how successful the 2022 Region V Youth Games were.
Lilongwe, Malawi (12 December 2022) – Today marked the final day of the Region 5 Youth Games which have been taking place in Lilongwe, Malawi. Team SA brings home more medals than they could have dreamed! Every athlete gave their all!
The games are designed to highlight the youth of sports in Africa. These are the up-and-coming athletes who show incredible potential in their sporting codes. When seeing these young men and women, you are seeing the future representatives of sport on the global stage. These are the future Olympians of our nation!
209 South African athletes competed at the 2022 Region V Games this year. The 2022 Region V Games ran from the 2nd of December until the 12th of December 2022. A total of 3000 athletes from ten African countries competed.
South Africa is always a front-runner at this event and we have not been disappointed in the successes the team have had! From earning 59 medals in swimming, to bringing home medals in almost every single sporting code the team took part in!
Team South Africa has done incredibly well over the weekend, earning even more medals day by day!
Our boy’s volleyball team earned the silver over the weekend against Zimbabwe, which took the gold. They played fiercely! The girl’s netball team walked away with the gold earning their final victory against Zambia. The boy’s soccer team also narrowly missed the gold but bring home the silver against Zambia. The girl’s soccer team took hold of their gold, making it the final one earned by Team South Africa before heading home.
The Judo team collected seven medals, two of which were silver and the rest bronze by Tegan Malherbe – 63kg, Phillip Pretorius -66kg, Moagi Molefe – 73kg, Anje Strydom + 78kg and Marcíano De Oliveira – 81kg. The silver was earned by Bernice Klaassen -70kg and the team Mixed (Billieleigh Billson, Willemien Olifant, Marinda Venter, Wilfred Portberg, Sinqobile Shongwe, Phillip Pretorius).
The athletics youth also earned some medals with Kaylee le Roux earning gold in the girl’s 100m and Lucky Moleyane taking the gold for his 100m.
Team South Africa has since set off back home to South Africa, with a medal bag larger than they could have ever dreamed. The team bring home 113 medals, 60 of which are gold!
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SASCOC president Barry Hendricks shared his thanks to the team during their flight home saying,
“Let me use this opportunity to thank you for your team spirit, camaraderie and drive to succeed. It takes a unique set of people to gel into a meaningful family and a winning Team South Africa,”
“I am sure that you were not aware of the challenges that you would face but more importantly how you would take up the challenge to represent your country and wear the Protea symbol of team South Africa with pride. Your manners were exemplary, and you were true ambassadors of our proud nation.
“Every one of you contributed to the team spirit, team gees as we call it. You have made us proud. Congratulations to the victors, you accepted victory with humility. Those of you who did not attain gold, you accepted defeat with grace. Thank you all for your contribution to a victorious Team SA with 60 gold medals and 113 medals in total. We would be able to do this without our support staff, medical team, physios, psychologists, managers, coaches and CEO.”
The next Region V Youth Games will take place in 2024, in Mozambique. Between now and then, these athletes will be working their way towards the Olympics of 2024 in Paris and 2028 in Los Angeles.
We couldn’t be prouder! As we have said after each article, remember these names – they will continue to be our champions and fly our flag high!
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