SA flag football team eyes 2028 LA Olympics
Flag football will make its debut at the Olympics, and Shelton believes South Africa has a shot.
Photo: Pixabay
947’s Robert Marawa is in conversation with Gridiron Flag Football Team Coach, Anthony Shelton.
Listen below:
South Africa’s national team Gridiron is heading to Cairo, Egypt for the IFAF Flag Football Continental Championship on 20 June.
Flag football is a version of American football, but instead of tackling, a flag must be pulled from the ball carrier’s waist belt.
Gridiron hosted trials countrywide to put the team together.
“We have players that have a background in basketball, cricket, in rugby and soccer… just because of the natural talent that exists in the country, it was really quite phenomenal.”
– Anthony Shelton, Gridiron Flag Football coach
The championship is part of the national team’s path to the 2026 World Championships and ultimately, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Flag football will make its debut at the Olympics, and Shelton believes South Africa has a shot.
“Our desire is to represent the country... to do so with honour and pride. It may be a sport that is not overly popular here in Africa, but there is genuinely an opportunity to represent the nation and the nation’s colours in Los Angeles.”
– Anthony Shelton, Gridiron Flag Football coach
The team is currently running a GoFundMe as part of its journey to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.