Minister Nathi Mthethwa Says There Is No Pressure on Team SA in the Olympics
- Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa stresses that Team South Africa will not be getting pressure from him to win medals
- The minister wants the athletes to focus on enjoying the experience and not be too worried about bringing the gold home
- However, he still urged the team to be aggressive during the events and try their best to put up great performances
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Nathi Mthethwa, the Sports Minister, stressed that Team SA's participation in the Tokyo Olympics is not under any pressure. The Tokyo Olympics will officially begin on Friday and conclude on 8 August.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, then-Minister of Sports and Recreation Fikile Mbalula set a 10-medal goal for the squad, which they met.
Mthethwa, who was unable to travel to Japan because of the ongoing virus, sent his best wishes to the athletes on Thursday at the South African embassy residence in Tokyo in a 'Welcoming Team SA to Japan' ceremony.
Source: Getty Images
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He pushed the team to perform aggressively but emphasised that athletes are not under any pressure in this year's postponed Games, according to News24.
"With regards to the task at hand, we wish you a happy, safe and successful mission at the Games. As you know, South Africans are very competitive and have high expectations. However, we don't want to put too much pressure on the athletes," he said.
"On behalf of the Government and all South Africans, I wish the South African contingent much success at the Games as well as a safe return back home," said Mthethwa according to the Department of Sport, Art and Culture.
Chad le Clos and Phumelela Mbande will be flag bearers at The Olympics
Briefly News previously reported that Chad le Clos, a South African swimmer, and Phumelela Mbande, the goalkeeper for the South African women's hockey team, will fly the national flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
Today at 1pm SA time, Le Clos and Mbande will lead SA at the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. The two flag bearers were announced by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) yesterday.
Following the International Olympic Committee's request, two athletes, male and female, will carry their national flags for their countries at the opening ceremony for the first time, according to The Sowetan.
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Source: Briefly News
