Commonwealth winners treated to a heroes welcome
SANDTON - Nelson Mandela Square was packed on 8 August with supporters from all over Johannesburg coming out to welcome the athletes who received medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The event was the climax to a celebratory parade which ran from Olympic House to Gandhi Square and ended with a huge celebration on Nelson Mandela Square, where the winners were treated to a heroes’ welcome with everyone in attendance singing and cheering them on. They were also treated to performances by the University of the Witswatersrand Choir and Kwaito star Doctor Malinga.
Springbok Sevens player and gold medal winner Chris Dry said, “I think it’s really been a warm welcome. I think it’s the true crowd of supporters and true South African fans have come out today and has made me really proud to be a South African.”
South African International Boxing Federation (IBF) Junior Champion Zolani Tete said, “I think this welcome is incredible, I never thought I would be here on the Square with this kind of support.”
Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula expressed his pride in the South African Commonwealth Games winners, saying, “Our athletes have made us proud and have been good ambassadors. Today we can stand here and say that we are a winning team because of them. And that’s why we will not be celebrating in the toilet, but we will do it facing Nelson Mandela’s statue because Nelson Mandela represents progress, winning and humanity. And sport is about the triumph of the human spirit.”
