South Africa’s mens’ hockey team ruled out of the Olympic Games

The IOC, however, recently turned down the appeal. NOCSA secretary general Dan Moyo said Monday his executive had told SAHA the matter was "now closed and that all SAHA’s attention must now be concentrated on assisting NOCSA to prepare the South African women’s team for Sydney."

All but seven of the men’s national squad of 30 are white. While the women’s team also did not meet the racial criteria, NOCSA believed it would finish in the top eight, and is allowing it to attend the Olympics. "SAHA was told that the matter is now closed," Moyo told the SAPA news agency.

Balfour said Monday while he still believed the sidelined hockey team should compete at the Olympics, he would not attempt to overturn the NOCSA ruling. The Minister said in parliament recently that he found the exclusion of the men’s hockey team from the Olympics "unacceptable."

"He (Balfour) has made his feelings known on this matter," Balfour’s spokesman Graham Abrahams said. "His position remains the same."

The South African men’s team took part in Olympic hockey for the first time at Atlanta in 1996, where they finished 10th in the 12-nation field.