Hendrick Mokganyetsi reflects on the success of the African Championships

By Charles Baloyi
2nd July 2024

Athletics South Africa (ASA) Athletes Commission Chairperson Hendrick Mokganyetsi, who accompanied the team to the African Senior Championships in Doula, Cameroon, declared the event an overwhelming success.

Team SA dominated the medal table, securing a total of 20 medals, seven gold, five silver and eight bronze medals winning the championships for the first time since 2016 after finishing behind Kenya in the past two competitions.

Sprinter Miranda Coetzee won the 400m race in 50.90 seconds and was the only athlete to achieve an automatic qualification for the Olympic Games at the event in the West African country, while the others await confirmation of their places through the world ranking points system this week.

"South Africa went to Cameroon with one mandate that one mandate was to reclaim our crown as the champs of Africa and all the teams, all the athletes, they've done that. So, they've executed the mandate, us, winning the Africa Champs,” Mokganyetsi said.

“Athletes did very well under the circumstances that were faced by all countries but they stood tall and made sure that they raised the flag of the country very high. The national anthem was being sung every day, played every day in the stadium and it was an exciting and moving environment."

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The standout performances came from 19-year-old Ashly Erasmus in the shot put and the mixed 4x400m relay team who broke national records.

Erasmus achieved her best throw of 18.17m, surpassing the long-standing SA record of 17.88m set by Drienkie van Wyk in Germiston in 2002.

The mixed 4x400m relay team, consisting of Gardeo Isaacs, Shirley Nekhubui, Mthi Mthimkulu, and Miranda Coetzee, won gold with a time of 3:12:13, shattering the previous SA record set at the ASA Grand Prix earlier this year.

"Ashley Erasmus in the shotput doing the SA record, the mixed relay also doing the SA record, it was very exciting and looking at Merinda Coetzee qualifying in the 400 metres with 50,90.

“So, the team was well prepared and they've done their best. If you can check the medals that we've received, it means it was a team collection, it was unity within the team and that's how we delivered."