35 Oakhill learners in Eden hockey squads
Hockey at Oakhill continues to flourish and is a real strength for the school, proven by the exceptional performances of players at provincial trials this year.
Oakhill is proud of the 35 Oakhill College and 11 Prep (u13) learners who were selected to represent Eden at the SA interprovincial, national and regional tournaments in Pietermaritzburg, Bloemfontein and George during the July school holiday.
This outstanding achievement indicates an entrenched culture of hockey at Oakhill and the pride in standing to represent our province. Playing at provincial level affords players the opportunity to participate at the highest level and grow their skills through the experience. Many of the Oakhill players were also elected to lead their respective teams as captains and vice-captains at the interprovincial and regional tournaments.
Notable achievement
The most notable achievement was the u16A Eden boys obtaining second place in the finals against Western Province (WP) in the B section. With a fantastic 4-1 win against Eastern Province 16B in the semifinal, they came up against WP 16B in the final with a tight 2-1 loss in the last 7 minutes of the match.
“This was a big game for Eden – if they had won they would have been promoted to the A section for 2019. Having done this would’ve put the future of Eden u16 in the same pool with the best in the country where we should be. Oakhill student Bongi Ndlovu captained the side with distinction and pride. The way Bongi led was through his play and he was consistent in that,” says u16A Eden coach Brendan Keevey. “I am extremely proud of all the boys and although we were runners-up this year, we will be back next year to fight for that title,” he says.
Inspiring moments
Some of the teams were also privileged to watch the SA u18 boys’ and girls’ teams play a test series against Australia in Pietermaritzburg at the same time – an inspiring moment for the younger players.
Thank you to Oakhill staff who continue to dedicate themselves as coaches and administrators in the SWD/Eden provincial hockey structures. Chicco Ponela (u18A boys’ coach), Mechake Fanelo (u18A girls’ coach), Brendan Keevey (u16A boys’ coach), Lumko Mart (u13A boys’ coach), Jason Trafford (u13A boys’ manager), Pheliswa Dayimani (u14 girls’ and boys’ manager) and René Korsten (chair of Eden Primary Girls’ Hockey) have once again been instrumental in developing the sport in the region this year. – Supplied by Oakhill School