Lottery funds SAfrica hockey team`s World cup dream

Johannesburg: Cash-strapped but desperate to participate in the World Cup in India, South Africa`s hockey team has got the requisite finances from a nationally-licensed lottery.

The South African team will participate in the World Cup that starts on February 28 in Delhi after earlier concerns that a lack of funding would keep them out. Chief executive of the South African Hockey Association Marissa Langeni confirmed that the necessary funding had been secured from an allocation made by the National Lottery.The profits from a nationally licensed bi-weekly lottery are distributed for various developmental causes. "We applied to use these funds for participation in World Cup tournaments as well and this was approved on Friday," Langeni told reporters.The final team for the World Cup would be announced later this week. PTI