Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

The inclusion of women marathon runners in Team South Africa to the World Championships in Japan in August will serve as an inspiration to the up and coming girls.

This was the view of Hendrick Ramaala, one of South Africa's greatest athletes, after Poppy Mlambo, pictured, and Tanith Maxwell were named in the Japan-bound side.

It will be for the first time in almost eight years that Team South Africa will have women representatives at the championships.

"I was so happy to read in the Sowetan that we will, for the first time in a very long time, have women in any of these championships," said Ramaala.

"It has been the same thing with the Commonwealth Games, the All Africa Games, the Olympics and the World Championships.

"The last time we had women in the South African marathon team was eight to 10 years ago with people like Collen de Reuck and Elana Meyer representing us.

"I can safely say we will start seeing more women, particularly blacks, who are doing road running starting to train hard," added Ramaala.

Mlambo qualified for the World Championships after making history by winning the Nedbank South African Marathon Championships title in February.

Maxwell was second at the same tournament.

The team is:

Men - Sherwin Vries (100m), Nagel (200m), Alwyn Myburgh (400 m hurdles), Pieter de Villiers (400m hurdles), Mulaudzi (800m), Ruben Ramolefi (3000m steeple chase), Khotso Mokoena (long jump), Robert Oosthuizen (javelin), Chris Harmse (hammer), Ramaala, Norman Dlomo, George Mofokeng, Bethuel Netshivhevhe, Zongamele Dyubeni (marathon);

Women - Janice Josephs (long jump), Tebogo Masehla (3000m steeple chase), Elizne Naude (discus), Janice Robbeson (javelin), Mlambo and Tanith Maxwell (marathon).