Investec South Africa Women’s hockey team travels to Europe to partake in Champions Challenge Cup
The Investec South Africa Women’s national hockey team has travelled to Europe to take part in a four-nation Champions Challenge tournament starting from June 18 till June 26, in Dublin, Ireland. They will face Scotland, Japan and USA in the competition.
It will be interesting to see how South Africa comes on the field after a long absence.
Prior to the Champions Challenge tournament, the South Africans will be up against Spanish women side for two friendly matches on June 9 and 10 in Barcelona, after which they will be fly to Amsterdam for two more games against Holland.
The South African squad knows very well that this tour is of great importance for them if they want to be in the side for 2012 London Olympics as SA Sports Congress and Olympics Committee (SASCOC) has a lot of expectations from them. The committee
also has a tough standard for the players to include them in the team for the 2012 Olympic London Games.
"The Champions Challenge will be incredibly tough. We are ranked fourth at this tournament and I have no expectations that we will finish higher than this, based on our less-than-satisfactory preparation over the last 12 weeks." Giles Bonnet, the Head
Coach of the team, told from Amsterdam.
The Investec South Africa women’s have not been on the field together for last three to four months and that’s why the coach Bonnet, who is renowned as a pragmatic and a rational person, portrayed a clear picture of the team and left no one over confident.
The majority of the team players have remained busy while playing for their European clubs and they have not had a combined match practice as well as in any combinations. At the end of the season, the players came together and the coach, Bonnet, prepared
the team for the upcoming matches to the extent that he can. A number of players joined the team's preparations in the last fifteen days.
However, there are some veterans and legendary players in the team which definitely will play a great role and will contribute to the victory of the team. These include Marsha Marescia, World All-Star 2010 mid-fielder, and Pietie Coetzee who is just
near to break the most goals record of Russian, Natella Krasnikova. Pietie has scored 215 goals, just five behind of 220 goals world record.
The Investec South Africa women’s team comprises of the following players.
Marsha Marescia (Captain), Pietie Coetzee, Jen Wilson, Celia Evens, Mariette Rix, Sanani Mangisa, Ilse Davids, Shelley Russell, Marcelle Keet, Sulette Damons, Tarryn Bright, Kim Hubach, Kathleen Taylor, Lesle-Ann George, Nicolene Terblanche, Lenise
Marais, Lisa Deetlefs and Dirkie Chamberlain,
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