SOUTH AFRICA - SA 2016 RIO OLYMPIC SQUAD NAMED WITH ATHLETES GETTING R500K PER GOLD MEDAL WON

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) on Thursday announced that athletes who return with a gold medal from the Rio Olympics will bag a cool R500 000 during the unveiling of a 138 strong team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“We have been on a long journey and we made it a point many years ago to make this country a force to be reckoned with on the world stage in terms of sport.

“We are appealing to the South African public to follow these athletes. These are men and women with amazing stories. And their stories should motivate them and us as they represent our country,” said SASCOC President Gideon Sam.

Athletes will get R 500 000 for winning a gold medal of which R100 000 goes to the coach while a silver medal will add R250 000 to an athlete bank account of which R50 000 goes to the coach. A bronze medal will net an athlete R100 000 of which R20 000 goes to the coach

SASCOC said that Paralympic medalists will receive the same amounts as their able bodied team mates.

Swimmers Chad le Clos and Cameron van den Burgh, athletes Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya, and the men’s rugby Sevens team will headline the South African team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

South Africa will have 138 athletes represented at The Games, which is just 13 more more than 125 they had at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Le Clos won gold in the men’s 200m butterfly and silver in the 100m fly in 2012 while van den Burgh won the 100m breaststroke.

Athlete Van Niekerk is one of the rising stars in track and field and won the 400m at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing while Semenya is an 800m London Olympics silver medallist.

SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy feels the team is ready for the Rio Olympics.

“The journey started immediately after London in 2012,” Reddy said. “The team assembles on July 21 and the first batch leaves on the 23rd. We are quite content that we’ve done our job.

“What we are announcing today is who we believe will represent the country as very good ambassadors.”

SASCOC also confirmed that athletes who win gold will receive R500,000 while silver medallists will get R250,000 and bronze medallist will pocket R100,000.

SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD

AQUATICS
Diving: Julia Vincent
Marathon swim: Michelle Weber, Chad Ho

Men
Chad le Clos, Jarred Crous, Dylan Bosch, Calvyn Justus, Cameron van der Burgh, Sebastien Rousseau, Michael Meyer, Christopher Reid, Matthew Meyer, Myles Brown, Bradley Tandy, Douglas Erasmus
Managers/Coaches: Shawn Adriaanse, Graham Hill, Dean Price, Cedric Finch, Igor Omeltchenko, William Sherritt, Alasdair Hatfield

ATHLETICS
Women (marathon): Irvette Van Zyl, Christine Kalmer, Lebo Phalula
Men (marathon): Lusapho April, Sibusiso Mzima, Lungile Gongqa

Women
Carina Horn, Alyssa Conley, Tsholofelo Thipe, Justine Palframan, Caster Semenya, Wenda Nel, Dominique Scott, Lynique Prinsloo, Sunette Viljoen, Anel Oosthuizen

Men
Akani Simbine, Henricho Bruintjies, Tlotliso Leotlela, Clarence Munyai, Anaso Jobodwana, Wayde van Niekerk, Jacob Rozani, Rynhardt van Rensburg, Elroy Gelant, Stephen Mokoka, Antonio Alkana, Lindsay Hanekom, Louis van Zyl, Le Roux Hamman, Ruswahl Samaai, Luvo Manyonga, Stefan Brits, Khotso Mokoena, Rocco van Rooyen, Willem Coertzen, Lebogang Shange, Wayne Snyman, Marc Mundell
Managers/Coaches: Irma Reyneke, Paul Gorries, Terseus Liebenberg, Maryna van Niekerk, Pieter Lourens and James Moloi

BADMINTON
Men
Jacob Maliekal
Manager/Coach: Chris Dedman

CANOEING
Women
Bridgitte Hartley
Manager/Coach: Craig Mustard

CYCLING
Women: An-Li Kachelhoffer, Ashleigh Moolman- Pasio

Men
Daryl Impey, Louis Meintjes, Kyle Dodd, Alan Hatherly, James Reid
Manager/Coach/Mechanics: Brett Coates, Jonnathan Chislett, Carl Pasio, Douglas Ryder, JP Jacobs, Gary Blem

EQUESTRIAN
Women
Tanya Seymour
Manager/Coach: Ingeborg Sanne
Groom: Kirsty Taylor

FOOTBALL
Women
Roxanne Barker, Amanda Dlamini, Andile Dlamini, Refiloe Jane, Bambanani Mbane, Mamello Makhabane, Stephanie Malherbe, Noko Matlou, Sanah Mollo, Robyn Moodaly, Linda Motlhalo, Octavia Nogwanya, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Lebohang Ramalepe, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Leandra Smeda, Janine Van Wyk, Nothando Vilakazi
Managers/Coaches: Barney Kujane, Vera Pauw, Desiree Ellis, Francis Chansa, Shilene Margaret Booysen

Men
Jody February, Itumeleng Khune, Ishmael Mngonyama, Rivaldo Coetzee, Abbubaker Mobara, Mothobi Mvala, Erick Mathoho, Tebogo Moerane, Tercious Malepe, Gift Motupa, Maphosa Modiba, Deolin Mekoa, Phumlani Ntshangase, Keagan Dolly, Tyroane Sandows, Lebogang Mothiba, Menzi Masuka, Tashreeq Morris
Managers/Coaches: Levy Ramajoe, Owen da Gama, Thabo Senong, Predikumar Bhaktawer, Simone Conley

GOLF
Women
Paula Reto, Ashleigh Simon
Men
Brandon Stone, Jaco van Zyl
Golf Caddies
Chris Simmons, Jason Reynolds, Deon Flowers, David Buhai
Manager/Coach: Gary Player

GYMNASTICS
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
Ryan Patterson
Manager/Coach: Jonathan Okada

JUDO
Men
Zack Piontek
Manager/Coach: Nikola Filipov

ROWING
Women
Kirsten McCann, Kate Christowitz, Ursula Grobler, Lee-Ann Persse
Men
James Thompson, John Smith, Shaun Keeling, Lawrence Brittain, Jake Green, David Hunt, Vincent Breet, Jonathan Smith
Manager/Coach: Roger Barrow, Andrew Grant, Paul Jackson

RUGBY SEVENS
Men
Dylan Sage, Philippus Snyman, Timothy Agaba, Albertus Smith, Werner Kok, Kyle Brown, Cheslin Kolbe, Rosko Specman, Justin Geduld, Cecil Afrika, Seabelo Senatla, Juan De Jongh
Manager/Coach:  Ashley Evert, Neil Powell, Renfred Dazel, Alan Temple-Jones

SAILING
Men
Stefano Marcia, Asenathi Jim, Roger Hudson
Manager/Coach: Brevan Thompson

TRIATHLON
Women
Gillian Sanders, Mari Rabie
Men
Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman
Manager/Coach: Kate Roberts, Lindsey Parry

MEDICAL TEAM
Chief Medical Officer: Dr Kevin Subban
Doctors: Danielle Lincoln; Paul Maphoto, Karen Schwabe
Chief Physiotherapist: Grace Hughes
Physiotherapists: Hugh Everson, Ashleigh Hansen, Collin Hill, Avilarsh Lukhan, Given Motha, Hendrik Maree, Rannoa Ntseke, Eva Ramashala and Sandhya Silal

VIA - sabreakingnews / thenewage.co.za