Athletics SA announced on Thursday that it is sending a full-strength team of 30 athletes to the Southern Region Cross-Country Championships in Mauritius next year.
The final team will include senior and junior athletes. The championships take place on February 19 next year.
The championships will also be the final chance for team members to be considered for the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships to be held in St Galmier, France, on March 19 and 20 next year.
Athletics SA recently also announced that it is going to form a middle- and long-distance track event squad of athletes with the aim of developing world-class runners in these events.
Cross-country running will form an integral part in the development of these athletes and the selection of the provisional squad for Mauritius is the first step in this direction.
A provisional squad was selected after the recent South African Cross-Country Championships in Bloemfontein, comprising several promising athletes. — Sapa
The squad:
Senior men 12km: Thabalethu Phaku (KwaZulu-Natal), Sello Legodi (Gauteng), Friedel Maans (Western Cape), Themba Miya (Gauteng)
Senior men 4km: Mandla Maseko (Gauteng), Boy Soke (AFS), Anthony Hermanus (EPA), Ruben Ramolefi (Gauteng)
Senior women 8km: Poppy Mlambo (Gauteng), Takalane Nthulane (Gauteng), Tebogo Masehla (Gauteng), Nokwanda Funani (Eastern Cape)
Senior women 4km: Rene Kalmer (Gauteng), Lebo Phalula, (Gauteng), Dinarose Phalula (Gauteng), Nicolene van Rooyen (Gauteng)
Junior men 8km: Dominic Khoza (Gauteng), Tshamano Setone (Gauteng), Molefe Molefe (Gauteng), Nkosinoxolo Sonqibido (Western Cape), Abram Khumalo (Gauteng), Gilbert Mashinini (North West), Ettiene Plaatjies (Western Cape), Mandla Nkosi (Gauteng)
Junior women 6km: Irvette van Blerk (Gauteng), Rochelle Moses (Gauteng), Christine Kalmer (Gauteng), Rosta Matlawe (North West), Chantelle Olivier (Gauteng), Patience Khumalo (Gauteng), Violet Raseboya (Gauteng), Maryke Rossouw (Gauteng)