Taking their first major step towards a perhaps overly optimistic goal at the London 2012 Olympics, South Africa's Olympic governing body have named the majority of the teams from various sporting codes for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India in October.

Having set a target of 12 medals at the next Olympics, Sascoc have set stringent qualifying criteria for the Commonwealth showpiece and a strong 115-member team from 14 codes was named on Wednesday. The athletics and sevens rugby teams will be announced next month.

Teams must be ranked among the top five in the Commonwealth and individuals among the top four to be considered for selection, and Sascoc president Gideon Sam said it was important to stick to such strict criteria if they are to reach their goal in London. South Africa earned only one silver medal, through long jumper Khotso Mokoena, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"We need to move on from taking passengers to the Games," Sam said.

"Some will say that sport is about competing, but other nations don't look at it like that.

"They are there for the medals and it is critical for us to stick to our guns with the qualifying criteria."

South Africa placed fifth on the medals table at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, with 12 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze medals, and Sam said it was paramount for the team to at least match that performance in Delhi.

"We have to retain our ranking or improve, which is not going to be easy," Sam said.

"But I've told them that if they can't achieve that," he added, only half jokingly, "they must stay there. They mustn't come back."

Squad:

Aquatics - Wendy Trott, Heerden Herman, Chad le Clos, Gideon Louw, Mark Randall, Roland Schoeman, Riaan Schoeman, Darian Townsend, Cameron van der Burgh.

Para Swim: Natalie Du Toit

Archery: Jorina Coetzee, Nico Benade, Septimus Cilliers, Jacobus de Wet. Manager/coach: Barbara Manning

Boxing: Papish Baloyi, Siphiwe Lusizi, Masana Manganyi, Lebogang Pilane. Manager: Peter Armstrong. Coach: Nkosinathi Hlatshwayo

Cycling: Robyn de Groot, Ashleigh Moolman, Anriette Schoeman, Carla Swart, Cherise Taylor, Marissa van der Merwe, Dean Edwards, Robert Hunter, Daryl Impey, Darren Lill, Jay Thompson, Christoff van Heerden, Jaco Venter. Manager/coach: Barry Austin. Coach: George Cornelissen. Mechanic: Melvin Claassen

Gymnastics: Ashleigh Heldsinger, Jennifer Khwela, Sibongile Mjekula. Manager/coach: Julie Adamson-Schurmann. Coach: Tatiana Lavrentchouk

Hockey (women): Tarryn Bright, Dirkie Chamberlain, Lisa-Marie Deetliefs, Farah Fredericks, Lesle-Ann George, Kim Hubach, Marcelle Keet, Kelly Madsen, Vuyisanani Mangisa, Marsha Marescia, Mariette Rix, Lenise Marais, Kathleen Taylor, Nicolene Terblanche, Roxanne Turner, Jennifer Wilson. Manager: Luntu Ntloko. Coach: Giles Bonnett. Assistant coach: Fabian Gregory. Technical official: Lindsay Wright

Hockey (men): Brendan Botes, Gareth Carr, Tim Drummond, Ian Haley, Rhett Halkett, Thomas Hammond, Marvin Harper, Julian Hykes, Lance Louw, Lloyd Madsen, Lloyd Norris-Jones, Wade Paton, Taine Paton, Erasmus Pieterse, Justin Reid-Ross, Austin Smith. Manager: Anton van Rooyen. Coach: Gregg Clark. Assistant coach: David Viney. Technical official: Moabi Malebye

Lawn bowls: Tracy-Lee Botha, Helen Grundlingh, Susan Nel, Colleen Piketh, Brunhilda Roussouw, Susanna Steyn, Shaun Addinall, Gerry Baker, Bobby Donnelly, Johan du Plessis, Wayne Perry, Gideon Vermeulen. Manager: Ron Weddell. Coach: Theunis Fraser. Coach: Jessica Henderson

Netball: Chrisna Botha, Erin Burger, Zukelwa Cwaba, Sindisiwe Gumede, Maryke Holtzhausen, Christene Markgraaf, Zanele Mdodane, Nthabiseng Moabi, Precious Mthembu, Amanda Mynhardt, Liezel Wium, Leigh-Ann Zackey. Manager: Marchelle Maroun. Coach: Carin Strauss. Assistant coach: Cecilia Molokwane

Shooting: Tielman Breedt, Martin Davis, Petrus Haasbroek. Coaches: Jacob de Beer and Robert Thompson

Table Tennis: Luke Abrahams, Theo Cogill, Kurt Lingeveldt, Itumeleng Molahloe, Shane Overmeyer. Manager/coach: Sameera Maal. Coach: Marcus Gustafsson

Wheelchair Table Tennis: Aletta Moll

Weightlifting: Babalwa Ndleleni, Mona Pretorius, Portia Vries. Manager/ coach: Aveenash Pandoo

Wrestling: Sonja Coetzee, Brumilda Leeuw, Mpho Madi, Zumicke Geringer, Richard Addinall, Heinrich Barnes, Bella-Lufa Hughes, Marius Loots, Gerald Meyer, Andries Schutte, Etienne van Huyssteen, Carlo van Wyk, Dean van Zyl. Manager: Sakkie Bosse. Coach: Nico Coetzee