Athletics South Africa (ASA) has stated that concerns regarding a portion of the national team potentially missing the upcoming World Road Running Championships in Denmark due to visa delays are unfounded.
Earlier, social media reports suggested that over half of the South African team was still awaiting visa documentation, with less than ten days remaining until the global event. This uncertainty raised fears of possible roster disruptions and sudden athlete withdrawals.
The situation was compounded by the fact that the national squad was only officially announced last week, leaving the federation with extremely tight deadlines to complete administrative procedures and account for unforeseen document processing delays.
Nevertheless, ASA insists there is no cause for concern, describing the phased receipt of permits as a standard part of international travel logistics. The federation emphasized: 'There is nothing alarming here. It is standard practice that visa applications are processed at the pace of the host country, which explains why approvals do not arrive simultaneously. A visa application is a security process for each individual traveler.'
World Road Running Championships
Tayla Kavanagh hopes that her victory in the Hollywoodbets Durban 10K race will serve as a springboard for a strong performance at the World Road Running Championships in Denmark at the end of this month.
ASA confirmed that progress has been made, with most athletes receiving visa approval notifications by Thursday, while other applications are still under review. To ensure the smooth processing of remaining travel documents, the federation has actively sought diplomatic support, as well as assistance from the global governing body of sport.
ASA informed IOL Sport on Thursday that 'both World Athletics and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa (Dirco) intervened following a direct request for assistance from ASA, and further updates are expected today as approvals come through.'
South Africa will participate in the event in Copenhagen, scheduled for September 19-20, with a squad of 14 individuals possessing extensive international experience.
Team Leaders
Marathon champion Elroy Gelant and Glenrose Xaba lead the team in the half marathon, returning to the world stage after participating in the debut championship in Riga, Latvia, in 2023. Gelant will represent the men's half marathon category alongside national champions Ngconde Matwebu and Cwenga Nose, while Xaba will compete in the women's race alongside Cacisile Sosibo and Karabo Mailula.
The squad also features significant depth in shorter distances, including 1500m record holder Tshepo Tshite and Dumisani Motloung in the men's road mile, as well as Karabo More and Carina Viljoen, who will compete in the women's mile. National 5k champion Tayla Kavanagh will lead the women's 5k team alongside Zanthe Taljaard, while Thapelo Ramakhoase and Maxime Chaumeton will form the men's 5k team.
Overall, the six athletes returning from the debut tournament in Riga provide important continuity as South Africa aims to build on the success of the men's bronze medal in 2023.