EP trio in SA side for underwater hockey champs
THREE young underwater hockey players will be flying the Eastern Province flag when the world championships are held in Hungary from August 23 to September 1.
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University students Maxine Schoeman and Oscar Miller, and Leigh de Necker, of Rhodes University, have been chosen for the SA under-23 side, one of seven teams South Africa will be sending to the tournament.
Schoeman has been named captain of the women’s team. This is her first year in the u-23 section, but she played for the SA u-19 side in the Netherlands in 2011, where they took the silver medal.
“I am very excited to be in the team and also to be chosen as captain,” Schoeman said this week. “It’s nice to be in charge of the team and get everyone pumped. It’s quite a responsibility and we have a new team at the moment. A lot is about being mentally strong and fit.”
Schoeman said there was no league in PE, but practice games were held with players from Border.
“Border have a very experienced side and the game’s rules are similar to field hockey.
“The big challenge is to hold your breath while trying to remember everything you have to do.
“You have fins to keep at the bottom, you hold your breath and then come up for one or two breaths, and then dive down again.”
South African teams have done well at previous world events and the contingent travelling to Hungary will be made up of men’s and women’s teams in the u-19, u-23 and elite categories, plus a masters’ team.
In the past 10 years, South Africa have placed among the top sides at successive world championships and other international events.