A goal by South Africa’s top goal-scorer, Pietie Coetzee, steered the Spar South African national women’s hockey team to a stunning 1-0 victory over Spain in the final of the four-nation Olympic test tournament in Athens on Sunday.
South Africa, ranked lowest of the four participating countries, ended the tournament unbeaten, having conquered Great Britain, Spain and Australia on the way to the final.
The tournament was played in the Olympic Hockey Stadium, and was designed as a rehearsal for the Olympic Games in August. The final was followed by a full Olympic-style medal ceremony.
The South African captain, Susan Webber, said the experience of playing and winning in Athens would prove invaluable to the team.
”It will make it so much easier for us in August,” she said. ”We felt very privileged to have been invited to take part. We obviously aimed at winning the tournament, but actually having done so is like a dream come true. It hasn’t been an easy tournament, but it has been very good to play against really tough opposition.”
The Australian Hockeyroos will accompany the victorious South African team when they return to South Africa on Tuesday for the four-Test Spar Challenge.
The Tests will be played in Johannesburg and Pretoria from February 11 to 15. The Hockeyroos, who are the defending Olympic champions, had a poor tournament, losing to South Africa and Spain, and drawing with Great Britain, but they can be expected to provide South Africa with very stiff opposition in the four Tests. — Sapa