FISU.net recently caught up with the Head of Delegation for Team South Africa, Carole Adams who detailed the excitement and behind the scenes preparations that have gone into the build-up for the upcoming World University Games.
-How did Team SA pick their athletes – what was the selection process like?
-Team South Africa’s athlete selection process was rigorous and thorough, designed to ensure that only the most talented and dedicated students represent the country at the World University Games. Students were selected per approved sport code through a combination of their performance in both local (provincial or USSA events) and international competitions, in line with the approved selection policies set out by USSA and the respective national federations. Most National University Sports Association such as USSA Basketball started identifying a long list of athletes since 2024 and then it was whittled down to a short-list squad and the final team that will be going to Germany.
–How many athletes will be competing at this year’s games and in how many sporting codes?
-For the upcoming Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, Team South Africa will be sending a delegation of over 110 athletes to compete in 8 sporting codes. The team will represent South Africa across a diverse range of events, including athletics, swimming, rowing, basketball, fencing, archery, diving and tennis. Each athlete brings their passion, talent, and determination to the Games, with the collective aim of showcasing the country’s university sporting prowess on the global stage and bringing home medals.
–How is the travel planned to Germany i.e. the two groups (Berlin and Rhine-Ruhr regions)?
-Despite the Games being split over two major different regions in Germany, the travel logistics for Team South Africa have been carefully planned to ensure a smooth journey for our student-athletes to the World University Games. There is also no centralised Athletes Village in Rhine-Ruhr and the accommodation has been separated based on each sports code; and the travel will be linked to sports code’s competition schedule which means that the full delegation will be travelling is smaller groups. Each departing delegation will be accompanied by coaches, medical staff, and support personnel to ensure the athletes are well-prepared and cared for throughout the journey.
Team SA always has amazing clothing designs, can you tell me what was the thought process behind this year’s kit and opening ceremony clothing?
-The design of Team South Africa’s kit this year blends tradition and modernity. The thought process behind the design was to showcase the country’s rich heritage while embracing a contemporary sporting look that resonates with our students and the international audience. For an athlete in order to compete on a professional level, it is important to wear something that makes them feel proud and we have teamed up with Lotto Sport this year as an apparel partner and we believe the athletes will wear our Team SA kit with pride.
–What are your medal hopes this year as a delegation?
-Team South Africa has several strong contenders across multiple sports who are expected to challenge for medals, these will especially come from swimming and athletics with other hopefuls in rowing, fencing and archery. There are many other international events taking place at the same time such as World Aquatics Championships which has affected our swimming and diving team. This also has an impact of preparation of athletes so we are cautious about the number of medals we hope to achieve but at the end of the day if we can match or exceed our medal tally of 20 medals from Chengdu, we shall be very excited and proud of the student’s achievements. However, I think it’s important to note that we also encourage students to experience vast majority of cultures and network with fellow students from around the world and this will develop the student-athletes holistically and come home better citizens.
-Who are some of the athletes to keep an eye out at the Games?
-This year, there are several South African student-athletes to watch out for at the Rhine-Ruhr Games. Bayanda Walaza is a new sprint sensation in our athletics team, having broken national records and recently excelled in international competitions – winning silver at the Olympics in 4 x 100m relay.
-In swimming, Pieter Coetzee another first-year student is quickly making a name for himself currently top 5 in the world in his events, in addition to having earned podium finishes in several World Cup events. In the fencing arena, Harry Saner another student-athlete who went to the 2024 Paris Olympics, has displayed impressive results so we are hopeful he can pull it through since he also has previous World University Games experience. With a mix of experienced athletes and emerging talent, there’s no shortage of exciting performances to look forward to.
-In the fencing arena, Harry Saner another student-athlete who went to the 2024 Paris Olympics, has displayed impressive results so we are hopeful he can pull it through since he also has previous World University Games experience. With a mix of experienced athletes and emerging talent, there’s no shortage of exciting performances to look forward to.
Written by Kimara Singh Ruiters
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