Athletics South Africa (ASA) announced on Monday that a team of 22 men and 16 women will compete in the African Junior Championships in Alexandria, Egypt, from September 22 to 25 this year.
This is the largest team yet selected by South Africa to compete at the championships and falls in line with ASA’s policy of giving international competition opportunities to up-and-coming young athletes.
The team consists of some of the best junior talent in the country and should bring back a large number of medals. Many of the athletes have already made their mark in senior competition during the past track season and will be hard to beat in Egypt.
Wouter le Roux (400m hurdles) and Ruan de Vries (110m hurdles) rank among the best senior athletes in South Africa and will be among the favourites to bring back gold medals.
Lohan Rautenbach, winner of the silver medal in the javelin at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Junior Championships in Grosseto last year, has improved remarkably this season and is another athlete with his eyes on a gold medal.
Robert Oosthuizen — winner of the silver medal in the same event at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada, two years ago — makes a welcome return to a South African team. Oosthuizen suffered from injuries, but is now fit and at his best will be in with a medal chance.
Among the other male athletes who can do South Africa proud are Isaac Mboyaza, winner of the bronze medal at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, who will again compete in the 1 500m; Bongani Mgemane (800m); Ruben Majola (400m); Donovan Snyman (shot put); Tinus de Bruin (decathlon); and Werner Appel (10km walk).
Among the women, much can be expected from Marli Knoetze in both the shot put and discus, Isabel le Roux and Thandi Mngwevu (sprints), Abongile Lerotholi and Pulani Mosomi (2 000m steeplechase), and Handri Botha (10km walk). — Sapa