SA men cyclists to miss CGames

Johannesburg - The South Africa men's road team will miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month, Cycling SA said on Thursday.

CSA had lodged an urgent appeal with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee after an elite men's road cycling team was omitted from the list of competitors for Scotland which was released by Sascoc earlier this month.

The Olympic body delivered a final verdict relating to the appeal and stood by its original decision not to include the men's road team in its final list of competitors.

"The appeal, although considered, was not approved due to the fact that the individual ranking did not meet the agreed upon selection criteria," CSA said in a statement.

"Cycling SA accepts the decision and will support those athletes who have been selected to represent our nation and country with pride."

According to the selection criteria, all individual athletes and team sports eligible for the Games had to be ranked in the top five in the Commonwealth to be considered for final selection.

Sascoc's president Gideon Sam said at the time of the team announcement that CSA had nominated a men's road team for the Games, however, the team had failed to meet the required criteria.

“The women's team had one woman ranked in the top five and the team made it on those grounds, knowing they would build around this one cyclist," Sam said.

"The men, however, did not have anyone ranked in the top five and, therefore, could not be included in the South African team for the Games.”