Team South Africa will be represented by a squad of 20 athletes across eight sports at the 12th edition of The World Games in Chengdu, China from 7-17 August. The World Games is a multi-sport event for several sports and disciplines that are not in the program of the Olympic Games, with the event taking place every four years.
President of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC), Mr Barry Hendricks, wished the athletes well ahead of their trip to China. “It’s always a huge honour representing one’s country on the international stage. I always say to athletes that they have earned the right to be competing at these kinds of events and that they must use the competition as an overall life experience as well. Ω“Any time an athlete represents Team SA they become ambassadors on and off the playing field. They will form new friendships, be exposed to different cultures and ultimately make life memories. I am confident that this group of athletes will be proud ambassadors in Chengdu,” Hendricks added.
The World Games were first held in Santa Clara, USA, in 1981 and the most recent were in Birmingham, USA, in 2022. There, Team SA returned with one medal – a gold by canoeist Andy Birkett – with a similar-sized squad, 21 athletes over 10 sports.
Included in this year’s team are three Paris Olympians – canoeing’s Hamish Lovemore, sport climbing’s Joshua Bruyns and Aniya Holder.
The World Games constitution states that the event was created to strengthen the bonds between International Sports Federations and to promote excellence in sport.
It was created to promote and coordinate World Championships and other competitions into an international, modern, multisport festival.
This is the ninth World Games attended by Team SA, with the first being in 1993 in The Hague, Netherlands. Across those eight previous Games, Team SA has won 20 medals, with the most at the 1997 World Games in Lahti, Finland.
There will be 110 countries competing at the Games in Chengdu, totalling around 5 000 athletes.
ARCHERY (3)
Men: Hendre Verhoef, Septimus Cilliers
Women: Jeanine Van Kradenburg
Management: Gerda Roux
CANOEING (2)
Men: Hamish Lovemore
Women: Saskia Hockly
Management: Nkosi Mzolo
KICKBOXING (5)
Men: Ahmad Mahomed, Matthew Gething, Muhammad Mia
Women: Leanne Van der Mescht, Saentone Louw
Management: Aslam Mahomed, Shabnum Mia
MUAYTHAI (1)
Men: Damian Collins
Managemet: Brett Clarke
ORIENTEERING (1)
Women: Sarah Wimberley
Management: Garry Morrison
POWERLIFTING (2)
Men: Harold Pietersen
Women: Megan Faul
Management: Andrew Ludick, Rodney Anthony
SPORT CLIMBING (4)
Men: Joshua Bruyns, John-David Muller
Women: Aniya Holder, Tegwen Oates
Management: Dean Bruyns
SQUASH (2)
Men: Dewald van Niekerk
Women: Hayley Ward
Management: Jean-Pierre Brits
Follow the action from The World Games 2025 on Team South Africa’s website and social media platforms.
The World Games will be streamed live on www.discoversport.com/live
