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KNYSNA NEWS - Hometown hockey hero Samkelo "Sam" Mvimbi returned home last week to conduct a special three-day hockey clinic at the Knysna High School hockey astro, held together with Mart Sports Academy.
The clinic was held from Friday to Sunday, 24 to 26 February and was aimed at young hockey players between the ages of nine and 19 from the Garden Route.
Sixty children from Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and George took part over the three days with Saturday and Sunday the busiest.
Mvimbi led the clinic with coaches from Mart Sports Academy lending a helping hand, putting together various drills for the youngsters to help them improve every aspect of their hockey game. They were also gifted with perfect weather on the weekend. Head coach and founder of Mart Sports Academy, Lumko Mart, was chuffed with how the clinic went.
"It was a great success, and we really enjoyed having the kids come out and not only improve their game but also show their support for Sam," Mart said.
"This was the first clinic we've held with Sam, and it definitely won't be the last. The kids seemed to have heaps of fun learning from Sam, and we also can't thank him enough for making the time to come back home and lend his expertise to the youngsters."
Sam Mvimbi and Lumko Mart run through a hockey drill.
While the clinic was intended as a learning opportunity for young hockey players, it also served as a means of raising funding for Mvimbi, as hockey is still an amateur sport in South Africa.
He returns to France in March where he plays hockey when not on duty with the SA team. Mvimbi thoroughly enjoyed spending some time in Knysna before heading over to France.
"It was great to be back home. I had an awesome time working with the next generation of hockey players," he said.
Mvimbi stated that he was "really happy" to see the standard of hockey among local youth, highlighting the U16 age group.
"It's very exciting to see some of the talent that does lie in the Southern Cape, and I think it's safe to say that we are in exciting times for hockey in Knysna and the Garden Route."
Photos: Blake Linder
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