The Chinese city of Chengdu will host the 31st summer edition of the Games from the 28th of July to the 8th of August.

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Robert Marawa speaks to Nomsa Mahlangu, Ussa President.

University Sport South Africa (USSA) president, Nomsa Mahlangu says the Upcoming University Games is an opportunity for young athletes to make a name for themselves.

South African Olympians, Akani Simbine and Tatjana Schoenmaker won their first-ever international medals at the University Games.

This year, Team SA is hoping to bring home more than 20 medals from the upcoming competition.

The Chinese city of Chengdu will host the 31st summer edition of the Games from the 28th of July to the 8th of August.

Speaking to broadcaster Robert Marawa on #MSW, Mahlangu says the Games provide an important steppingstone for athletes.

A lot of the people that have come through the system have been able to succeed on and off the field. It’s all about giving the necessary support to athletes. Sporting careers are not that long and so we need to encourage people to develop their skills, so they have something to fall back on once they retire.

Universities are at an advantageous place because we have a lot of the resources that are needed to develop sports people. We also have psychologists on hand, and we continue to play a crucial in the development of athletes. People that have gone on to win Olympic medals that have come through the university system and some of those athletes continue to use university facilities to train.

Akani [Simbine] and Tatjana [Schoenmaker] won their first international medals at the university games. They are at their peak in university and that is where the difference comes. When we select the teams, we work with the national team coaches from different codes. At least 50% of the athletes going to these games will also be going to Paris 2024 so it is a great steppingstone for them.

Meanwhile, Mahlangu also had her say on the Banyana Banyana saga as the team prepares to face Sweden in their Women’s World Cup opener on Sunday.

It is really unfortunate that we are where we are. This is something that could have been avoided because the federation knew they were going to the World Cup from the moment they qualified. A lot of people will forget this saga once the tournament starts, and people will forget the turmoil they have gone through and start questioning the players if they do not perform well.

When Banyana came back from Afcon, the airport was packed, they played a match a few days later and the stadium was empty. You cannot say you support a team when you can’t even name any of the players. South Africans must stop writing on social media and start filling stadiums.

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This article first appeared on 947 : South Africa targeting more than 20 medals at upcoming University Games in China