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The SA women's hockey team on Friday named their squad for the final Olympic Qualifier tournament in Delhi, India next month.

The SA women's hockey team on Friday named their squad for the final Olympic Qualifier tournament in Delhi, India next month.

Proteas coach Giles Bonnet’s 18-player team will play India, Canada, Italy, Poland and Ukraine in the tournament they have to win to qualify for the London Games later this year.

“Players with more than 50 Test matches have been left out, which indicates that competition for places was high,” said Bonnet.

“The selection of this team is not cast in stone and will be reviewed on a regular basis.”

SA selection chief Mickey Gordon said one of the goals when Bonnet was appointed 18 months ago was to increase the player base.

“We have succeeded in that, and now selection is purely performance-based, so no one can rely on reputation alone,” Gordon said.

The team is scheduled to play a series in Scotland from May 24

to June 3 Ä regardless of whether they qualify for the Olympics.

They will also participate in two Four Nations tournament in London in early June and another in Bremen, Germany in July.

Meanwhile, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) sent the team a message of support ahead of the Olympic qualifier.

“As SASCOC we are firmly behind this group of players chosen to represent their country in this all-important 2012 Olympic Games qualifier on foreign soil in New Delhi,” said the body's chief executive, Tubby Reddy.

“We are also grateful that upon our request both the FIH and the IOC were gracious enough to grant us a slot in one of the three qualifiers into the Games in London, because there was no slot for Africa in these qualification tournaments.

“We appreciate the immense effort that the squad have put in on this lengthy qualification road and have every faith in their ability to go the whole way and do the necessary to join Team South Africa in London later this year,” said Reddy.

“SASCOC wishes coach Bonnet, captain Marsha Marescia and all team and management members the very best on this mission.”

Squad: Mariette Rix, Kate Woods, Shelley Russell, Jade Mayne, Lauren Penny, Kathleen Taylor, Tarryn Bright (all WP); Marsha Marescia (capt), Lisa Deetlefs, Bernadette Coston, Pietie Coetzee (all Southern Gauteng); Sanani Mangisa, Dirkie Chamberlain, Nicolene Terblanche, Kim Hubach (all Northern Blues), Lesle-Ann George (Free State); Lenise Marais (KZN Coastal Raiders); Sulette Damons (North West). Head coach: Giles Bonnet. – Sapa