South Africa earns final Olympic field hockey spot

South Africa earned the 12th and last berth in the Olympic men's field hockey tournament by beating Japan 2-1 in the final of the qualifying competition on Sunday.

Thornton McDade and Lloyd Norris Jones scored in the second half as South Africa, which entered the tournament as the top-seeded team, secured its third straight appearance at the Olympics.

Kenji Kitazato pulled a goal back for Japan with six minutes left but the South Africa defense held on for a place at the London Games.

Japan's men's team was bidding for its first Olympic slot in 44 years. The Japanese women qualified on Saturday with a 5-1 win over Azerbaijan.