JOHANNESBURG - The count down to the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games just got real, with the South African Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) on Thursday announcing the first group of athletes to be representing Team South Africa at the sporting showpiece later this year.

Sascoc announced representatives from across seven sporting codes namely athletics, climbing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey (men and women), sailing and surfing.

Team SA plans to compete in 23 of the 33 Olympic sports and this is the first list of athletes who have been selected.
Wayde van Niekerk, Caster Semenya and Jordy Smith, in athletics and surfing respectively are not on the list but Sascos said that they still had time to qualify to be added to the final list.

Sascoc president Barry Hendricks congratulated the first team members to be selected: "After all the challenges the world at large faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the postponement of the Olympics, it’s a very exciting time for us as an Olympic Committee, and it feels incredible to be announcing our first names of Team South Africa.

"Congratulations to the selected team members and all your resilience and hard work has paid off, and we strongly believe that the team will bring sporting pride to the whole of South Africa."

With 57 days to go, athletes selected for the Tokyo Olympics have been receiving COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of the Games which run from 23 July to 8 August.

READ: SA's athletes to be vaccinated ahead of Tokyo games

ATHLETICS
Akani Simbine, Clarence Munyai, Antonio Alkana, Cheswill Johnson, Ruswahl Samaai, Rocco van Rooyen, Jason van Rooyen, Stephen Mokoka, Desmond Mokgobu, Elroy Gelant, Wayne Snyman, Men’s 4X100m Relay and Men’s 4X400m Relay (The athletes are still to be determined by Athletics South Africa), Wenda Nel, Dominique Scott, Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl

CLIMBING
Erin Sterkenburg and Chris Cosser

Coach/Manager
James Barnes

CYCLING
Johan Spies, Charlene du Preez, David Maree, Daryl Impey, Ryan Gibbons, Nicholas Dlamini, Ashleigh Pasio-Moolman, Carla Oberholzer, Alan Hatherly, Candice Lill and Alex Limberg

Team Officials
Elton Davids (Team Manager and BMX Coach)
Ian Goetham (Road Coach)
Moosa Classen (Track Mechanic)
Jean-Pierre Jacobs (Mountain Bike Manager Coach and Mechanic)
Carl Pasio (Road Coach)
Brigette Mileson (Track Coach Manager)
Gary Blem (Road Mechanic)

GYMNASTICS
Caitlin Rooskrantz

Coach
Ilse Laing (Roets)

WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Quanita Bobbs, Erin Christie, Lisa Deetlefs, Lilian Du Plessis, Nicole Erasmus, Tarryn Glasby, Robyn Johnson, Charne Maddocks, Lerato Mahole, Phumelela Mbande, Edith Molikoe, Kristen Paton, Tarryn Potts, Celia Seerane, Nomnikelo Veto and Onthatile Zulu

Coaches and Management
Gillian Doig (Manager), Robin Van Ginkel (Head Coach), Nkuliso Zondi (Assistant Coach) and Taren Naidoo (Video Analyst)

MEN’S HOCKEY
Erasmus Pieterse, Timothy Drummond, Austin Smith, Mohamed Mea, Matthew Guise-Brown, Jethro Eustice, Nduduzo Lembethe, Taine Paton, Nicholas Spooner, Clinton Panther, Samkelo Mvimbi, Abdud Cassiem, Mustaphaa Cassiem, Nqobile Ntuli, Keenan Horne and Tevin Kok

Coaches and Management
Martin van Staden (Manager), Garreth Ewing (Head Coach), Siphesihle Ntuli (Assistant Coach) and Ashlin Freddy.

SAILING
Alex Burger and Benjamin Daniel

Coach/Manager
Asenathi Jim

SURFING
Bianca Buitendag

Coach
Gregory Emslie

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