SA School Sports

 Almost 150 matches later, played over a five-day period, two school first teams emerged as winners of the Cape Town U18 International Schools/Clubs Hockey Festival in dramatic fashion at Hartleyvale Hockey Stadium late Sunday afternoon.

The keenly contested Pool stage of the 12^th annual Cape Town Under-18 International Hockey Festival is done and dusted and now it’s time for Super Sunday’s knockout matches in search of silver and gold!

Paarl Girls beat Dutch side Kennemer 2-1 in the early match at Hartleyvale stadium - after the final hooter, when the penalty corner had to be played out …the 1-1 draw between the classy Millfield team and absolute underdogs Potchefstroom Gim … the Felsted boys beating the feisty Outeniqua lads in a 10-goal thriller at Stellenberg …

Phew, if anyone was in any doubt as to the quality of a healthy slice of this year’s visiting teams from across the seas, they need look no further than the Millfield girls’ first team, who outplayed last year’s champions Somerset College of the Western Cape 4-1 at Hartleyvale Wednesday.

The highly regarded Paul Roos Gim boys' first team coach Neville Rothman gave high praise to the Cape Town U18 International Schools/Clubs Hockey Festival in a telephonic interview Tuesday, just a few hours before the annual event's 4pm opening ceremony at Hartleyvale Hockey Stadium.

The 12th annual Cape Town Under-18 International Schools and Clubs Hockey Festival has long been a fixture on the South African hockey calendar and this year the event promises to be bigger and better than ever.

On the 20^th July 2013 the SA Hockey Association announced its final squad of U/21 players selected to take part in the FIH 2013 Junior Women’s World Cup Finals in Mönchengladbach, Germany from July 27^th to August 4^th.

Included in that squad was Tarryn Glasby from Durbanville who would go onto to become the 2013 Mr Price Sport Player or the Year!

A name that will definitely be synonymous with success in the future is that of Anke Swart. Not only is this 16 year old girl at the forefront of talented young and upcoming hockey players, she is in fact on her way to conquer space! Anke’s astronomical achievement demands this feature article. She is a true all-rounder in every sense of the word and her recent selection to the “Mission to Mars” program serves as evidence of her tenacity in all spheres of life.

AS if the beautiful winter’s day in the Mother City wasn’t enough to warm the cockles of the heart, day one of the Cape Town Under-18 International Schools/Clubs Hockey Festival had it all on the pitch as well.

The Wynberg Boys’ High School first team is laying a strong claim to being the top side in the country this year and much of the success can be attributed to the man at the helm, head coach Anton Grobler.

Hockey started at Wynberg in 1968, using the fields at the nearby Wynberg military camp. In one of those early games, a young Roy Clark was prevailed upon to try his luck at the sport and he ended up scoring 10 goals in his first game.

Representing your province in sport is always a great honour, doing it in two diverse sport codes at the age of only 16, is an amazing achievement exclusive to an elite few young sportswomen in South Africa. Here is Talya Cartwright’s remarkable succsess story.