Six student-athletes and coaches from the University of the Free State (UFS) will be jetting off to China next week to represent South Africa at the Federation International University Sports (FISU) World University Games, after being included in the national University Sport South Africa (USSA) team.

The World Student Games will take place in Chengdu, China, from 28 July to 8 August 2023. 

Kesa Molotsane, athletics coach and team manager, says she welcomes the opportunity to once again be part of the team, but this time in a different role. “It is a great and exciting opportunity, because I attended my last World University Games as a student-athlete. I am fortunately coming back as a team manager and a team coach. It feels surreal, but I am excited to learn more at the games,” she says.

She expressed how happy she was for all the athletes and explained the selection criteria in athletics. “I am happy to be team manager of this brilliant team, and I know they will do well. Each sporting code has its own selection criteria; for example, in athletics there were qualifying standards endorsed and approved by FISU, the Federation of Africa University Sports, and USSA at the beginning of the season. There was also a specified time frame for qualifying. A national squad was then announced after the USSA Track and Field Championships, and eventually the last and final team was announced by USSA.”

According to Molotsane, the whole team’s preparations has been going well and everyone is ready. The team will be ready to leave the country in a few days. The preparations for their stay in China are also well underway, everything is great, and will go accordingly from now until they are back in the country, she says.

One of the student-athletes, Yolandi Stander – discus thrower who is currently doing her Bachelor of Education honours at the UFS – says she is looking forward to representing the UFS as part of team South Africa.  She qualified for the games by throwing a distance of 58,8 m – well over the qualifying standard distance of 54,00m.

 “The preparations for the games have been going well. I am currently fine-tuning my technique. I am feeling well rested, healthy, and stronger than ever,” she says. 

She fancies her chances of performing well and winning a medal. “I believe that I can perform well and to the best of my ability. My coaches – Elizna Naudé Pretorius and Romario Seekoei – have prepared me well. A personal best distance throw and a medal would be a great way to repay them for having faith in my abilities,” she beamed.