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Glasgow 2026 Gets Underway: A Spectacular Opening Ceremony Sets the Stage for Team SA
The 2026 Commonwealth Games have officially arrived. Following an innovative and theatrical Opening Ceremony on Thursday night, the focus now shifts to the sporting arenas across Glasgow where Team South Africa is gearing up for a packed opening day of competition. ipl-cricket.in
Here is a look back at how the host city welcomed the world, and a comprehensive guide to when and where to catch the South Africans in action today.
A Time-Traveling Welcome
Glasgow promised to innovate at every turn, and the Opening Ceremony delivered. In a spectacular start to the 23rd Commonwealth Games, The King and The Queen made a surprise entrance into The Hydro arena by emerging from Doctor Who’s iconic TARDIS, piloted by cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy and actor Greg McHugh.
In a first for Commonwealth Games history, athletes from both Para and non-Para sports entered the arena before the main show unfolded. The 74 participating nations and territories paraded around a giant living garden set on a Celtic Knot walkway, transforming the stage into a vibrant, living artwork as they presented their uniquely decorated Batons.
Soundtracked by a blend of electronic-trad beats from Valtos and a choir of everyday people coming alive beneath the famous Glasgow Central Station clock, the ceremony served as a love letter to the city. Tributes were paid to Glasgow’s industrial heritage and its modern status as a UNESCO City of Music. The night climaxed with a massive disco celebration, officially opened by His Majesty King Charles, who praised the city and urged a harmonious future for the Commonwealth family.
Team SA Opens Their Campaign
With the fanfare complete, Friday marks the official kickoff for the majority of the sporting program. For Team South Africa, day one brings a flurry of action, particularly at the pool where several potential finals are on the line tonight.
In the morning sessions, keep an eye on the likes of Pieter Coetze and Erin Gallagher in the swimming heats, while the Wheelchair Basketball team tips off their campaign against Canada. Over at the bowls greens, Wayne Rittmuller opens the Men’s Singles, and Princess Schroeder and Keith Orwell tackle a double-header in the Para Mixed Pairs.
Here is the complete schedule of Team SA athletes in action today (all times SAST):
Swimming & Para Swimming (Heats & Semis)
Time (SAST) | Event | Athlete(s) |
11:30 | Women’s 400m Freestyle (Heats) | Hannah Robertson, Dune Coetzee |
11:55 | Men’s 200m IM (Heats) | Kris Mihaylov |
12:08 | Para Women’s S13 100m Freestyle (Heats) | Alani Ferreira, Danika Vyncke |
12:10 | Para Men’s S13 100m Freestyle (Heats) | Nathan Hendricks |
12:13 | Women’s 200m Backstroke (Heats) | Hannah Pearse |
12:26 | Men’s 50m Backstroke (Heats) | Pieter Coetze, Ruard van Reenen |
12:35 | Men’s 4x100m Freestyle (Heats) | Team SA |
12:37 | Women’s 50m Butterfly (Heats) | Erin Gallagher, Caitlin de Lange, Jessica Thompson |
12:54 | Men’s 100m Breaststroke (Heats) | Michael Houlie, Chris Smith |
13:23 | Women’s 4x100m Freestyle (Heats) | Team SA |
20:59 | Men’s 50m Backstroke (Semi-finals) | Pieter Coetze, Ruard van Reenen |
21:08 | Women’s 50m Butterfly (Semi-finals) | Erin Gallagher, Caitlin de Lange |
21:31 | Men’s 100m Breaststroke (Semi-finals) | Michael Houlie, Chris Smith |
Swimming & Para Swimming (Potential Finals)
Time (SAST) | Event | Athlete(s) |
20:07 | Women’s 400m Freestyle | Hannah Robertson, Dune Coetzee |
20:16 | Men’s 200m IM | Kris Mihaylov |
20:23 | Para Women’s S13 100m Freestyle | Alani Ferreira, Danika Vyncke |
20:30 | Para Men’s S13 100m Freestyle | Nathan Hendricks |
20:51 | Women’s 200m Backstroke | Hannah Pearse |
22:11 | Women’s 4x100m Freestyle | Team SA |
22:21 | Men’s 4x100m Freestyle | Team SA |
Other Sports
Time (SAST) | Sport | Event | Athlete(s) |
11:00 | Wheelchair Basketball | Women’s 3×3 (vs Canada) | Team SA |
12:20 | Bowls | Men’s Singles (Round 2) | Wayne Rittmuller |
13:30 | Boxing | Men’s Welterweight (65kg, Round of 32) | Simamkele Damesi |
13:30 | Gymnastics | Men’s Artistic Individual (Qualifiers) | Daniel MacLean |
13:45 | Para Bowls | Para Mixed Pairs B2-B3 (Round 1) | Princess Schroeder, Keith Orwell |
16:00 | Bowls | Women’s Pairs (Round 2) | Jacqui Janse van Rensburg, Thabelo Muvhango |
21:40 | Para Bowls | Para Mixed Pairs B2-B3 (Round 2) | Princess Schroeder, Keith Orwell |
For More South African Sports News: Sport South Africa Home Page
The post Glasgow 2026 Gets Underway: A Spectacular Opening Ceremony Sets the Stage for Team SA appeared first on South Africa Sports News and Blog Site | South Africa Sport.
Burkina Faso: RSF accuse Ibrahim Traoré de posséder une «milice numérique» qui cible les journalistes
Au Burkina Faso, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), accuse Ibrahim Traoré d'entretenir « une milice numérique » qui cible les journalistes. Dans une enquête publiée le 23 juillet 2026, l'ONG soutient que ces cyberactivistes, rattachés à la junte et connus sous l'appellation de Bataillons d'intervention rapide ( BIr-C), « occupent le cyberespace et s'attaquent aux voix dissidentes en toute impunité ».
Au Sénégal, une première obligation financière pour la transition et l’autosuffisance alimentaire
Au Sénégal, l'entreprise agricole Swami Agri, filiale du groupe indien Senegindia, lance un emprunt obligataire vert de 30 milliards de francs CFA (FCFA) pour financer des chambres froides solaires et une centrale photovoltaïque. La nouveauté : c'est le premier Agri Green Bond émis sur le marché financier régional de l'Uemoa, un marché encore jeune et dominé par la dette publique. Signe que les acteurs privés commencent, eux aussi, à s'en emparer pour financer transition énergétique et autosuffisance alimentaire.
Best available SA URC teams to tackle All Blacks
In SA Rugby magazine’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry special edition, SA’s four URC coaches reveal how they’re preparing to face the All Blacks next month.
The return of a full-scale All Blacks tour to South Africa has the country’s URC coaches excited, even if it complicates preparations for the new season.
The tourists will face the Stormers (7 August), Sharks (11 August) and Bulls (15 August) before the first Test and the Lions (25 August) before the second Test.
For Bulls coach Johan Ackermann, it’s a dream fixture with a difficult balancing act.
“A tour like this is obviously massive from a player’s perspective and a coach,” he told SA Rugby magazine. “Every player wants to play against the All Blacks – especially in front of your own people.”
Ackermann, though, warned: “If we give players five weeks’ rest, we’ll only have one week to prepare them for the All Blacks game. Any player who will play will then be at high risk for injury.”
ACKERS: Bulls might not pick Papier
Sharks coach JP Pietersen sees only opportunity.
“We will put our best available team together. Our focus remains on preparing properly for the URC season, but we will embrace the opportunity.”
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen is taking the same approach.
“It is in the middle of preparation for the URC, which obviously presents a bit of a challenge. But it’s such a big event and big occasion that you’ll do whatever you can to get your best team together.”
OPINION: Roos needs an All Blacks Hail Mary
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson admitted the timing of the All Blacks fixture wasn’t ideal, but said the team’s URC semi-final exit last season had given them an extra three weeks to rest and prepare.
“We can actually make it work,” he told SA Rugby magazine. “This is just too lekker. It’s something the players dream of …
“We’re going all in to make Cape Town proud and provide a lekker once-off rugby occasion.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Best available SA URC teams to tackle All Blacks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ghana : pourquoi les accusations de sorcellerie continuent-elles de tuer ?
Six ans après le lynchage d'Akua Denteh, accusée de sorcellerie au Ghana, les défenseurs des droits humains dénoncent l'absence de protection effective des victimes. Malgré un texte adopté par le Parlement en 2023, aucune loi n'est entrée en vigueur pour criminaliser ces accusations. Pourquoi ce blocage ? Que vivent aujourd'hui les femmes contraintes de fuir leur village ? Fatimata Wane reçoit Habibatou Gologo, Directrice régionale adjointe en charge des campagnes au bureau d'Amnesty International pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest et l'Afrique centrale.