The South African Senior Women’s National Team, Banyana Banyana has nicely settled into the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The squad landed in the South American city in the early hours of Sunday, 24 July before taking a 45-minute drive to the Village.
They still have learn more about their surroundings and get to understand where the facilities are like how transport operates, and also adapt to the training times as there is a five-hour difference between South Africa and Brazil.
But the players are already loving every minute of it.
“It is amazing, the vibe is incredible. We see beautiful colours with Rio 2016 logos everywhere. There are also flags of the different countries on the village blocks. This is what makes what I have been waiting and working so hard for feel like a dream come true, I am really living my dream and embracing every moment of it all - a moment I will forever cherish,” said Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk.
With eight days to go before the opening match against Sweden, Van Wyk says they are taking it one step at a time.
“The nerves haven't settled in just yet. I think once we have played New Zealand in the warm up match things will start to feel a bit different and the tension and anxiousness will definitely increase,” said the Banyana Banyana skipper.
South Africa and New Zealand will face off in their final preparation match on Thursday, 28 July in Rio.
The Olympic Village is also the place where stars meet during competition, and the South Africans are looking forward to meeting some of the big name players.
“Well, we have just moved in and are still trying to find our feet and settle down so I haven’t come across any of the big name stars yet. But I would like to bump into the likes of Neymar (football), Usain Bolt (athletics), Andy Murray (tennis) and a few English football players.
All the players selected into the Banyana Banyana squad are staying in the Village, including the four additional players who are on standby – they will only be eligible to play when there is an injury among the official 18.
The additional players are goalkeeper Kaylin Swart, defender Nomathemba Ntsibande, midfielder Thembi Kgatlana and striker Chantell Esau.
Meanwhile the Olympic Village is expected to house about ten-thousand-five-hundred athletes, watched by about seven-thousand staff members.
The compound is set among tennis courts, football fields, seven swimming pools while the mountains and the sea can be seen in the background.
The dining hall is a huge place that is as large is three football field and officials expect to serve sixty-thousand meals a day to Olympians and staff.
Delegations are easy to spot inside the Village as their banners or flags hang off the sides of buildings.
Organisers say the compound has ten-thousand-one hundred and sixty-rooms with eighteen-thousand beds, seven Laundromats, an enormous hospital-like clinic, as well as a massive gym.
