South Africa sent a U19 paintball team to the U19 Paintball World Cup for the first time in 2016, and finished 4th. The event was held in Chantilly, near Paris, from 16 to 18 September 2016, alongside the Millennium Paintball World Cup.

How the team was chosen

SANPA, together with the African Paintball Federation and the SARPL, set the criteria in advance:

  • U19 players had to be born between 1997 and 2000 (or later).
  • Players completed a SANPA personal skills assessment at a SANPA-approved speedball field.
  • Players were registered 2016 SARPL players. Season fees included SANPA membership.
  • Players attended the invitation try-outs.

A selection board of SANPA staff, the national team coaches and the SANPA head referee weighed skill level and experience (SARPL ranking), the 2016 skills assessment, how each player worked in a team at SARPL events and try-outs, and dedication, conduct and sportsmanship. Players under 18 needed the usual South African travel documents for minors.

Day 1: three wins

South Africa won all three of its group games: 4–2 against Germany, 2–1 against France and 4–0 against Russia.

Day 2: the semi-final

The semi-final against Great Britain went to 2–2, with no points scored in the last 15 seconds of regulation, and into sudden-death overtime. South Africa had the lead on the field and dominated going into the last minute. A penalty on Great Britain was not seen, though, and the last South African player could not touch the buzzer before time ran out.

The tournament rules then decided a tied game by seeding at the start of the event, and Great Britain was seeded higher. It was the first time in the event's history that a game ended tied after overtime, and the team planned to take the rule back for discussion so that future events are fairer to the teams.

In the match for third place, Norway won 4–0, giving South Africa 4th place overall in the U19 category. The UPBF record agrees: Under 19, 4th, 2016.

Coach and support

The team was led by coach Eugene Jansen van Rensburg, whom SANPA credited with an outstanding job. The event also drew strong support from South Africa through the live webcast and social media. SANPA said it was extremely happy with the result for a first U19 entry.

The U19 team returned in 2017. See the 2017 national teams and the results page.