South African Games

The South African Games, in some years called the South African Open Games, was a multi-sport event held in South Africa during the apartheid era, in response to the country's exclusion from the Olympic Games. Some foreign athletes participated, sometimes without the endorsement of the national governing body of their sport.

The 1964 South African Games, the first such event, was staged at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. Foreign competitors were invited.In January, IOC had revoked South Africa's invitation to the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The White Games were held from 29 February to 9 March, and the Black games from 24 April to 10 May.

The 1969 South African Open Games were held in Bloemfontein, beginning on 15 March. That month U Thant, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, called on all members to break all sporting links with South Africa. Invitations were extended to white athletes from mostly-white countries. The games were organised by the South African National Olympic Committee (SANOC), which used the Olympic rings in its publicity material, without the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This violation of the Olympic Charter was added to multiple counts of sporting segregation, for which the IOC expelled the SANOC in 1970.

The South African government claimed there were more than 6 000 competitors, including 126 from abroad, in 36 sports codes. Three national teams withdrew having arrived, after pressure from their home governments. A team from West Germany withdrew after the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa said its members would otherwise boycott the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. A full New Zealand team participated, though the New Zealand governing bodies stated the athletes were present as individuals rather than as representing them. One British athlete competed. The U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) denied permission to compete to four invitees, as did the U.S. State Department to two employees in South Africa.

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