KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna High School hockey players and cousins Lino Wyn and Thuli Magadla, both 17, are two of eight KHS hockey players selected by Southern Cape Sports Tours to take part in a tour of England and Wales from 30 September to 9 October.
Other players from Knysna who were selected are Buvu Xelinkomo, Lumko Siko, Ntando James, Likho Mhlauli, Sino Lolwana, and Ronald Turner.
The local players were selected from 2 500 learners from across South Africa, making this a marked achievement and an honour for their school.
The players will tour around London, Cardiff and Birmingham, and it promises to be a memorable, enriching experience. Sportsmanship and a love of hockey runs in Lino and Thuli's family and both players show great passion for the game.
Lino, a defender, has loved hockey since the first day he started playing. "Now that I have the opportunity to go to London it brings me the greatest joy. I'm extremely excited.
Not only will I be travelling abroad for the first time, but I'll be representing my country with my team."
Thuli Magadla has received multiple hockey awards.
Lino was named his school's Best Junior Player in Grade 6 and Best Senior Player the following year and has been awarded a number of other trophies for hockey. He was selected for the Eden B side in Grade 6 and the A side in Grade 7.
Thuli, who has been playing since Grade 1, plays centre back.
The young sportswoman has many accolades to show. In 2019 she received the school's trophy as Girl Athlete of the Year and Girl Hockey Player of the Year. In 2019 she participated in the U13 regional hockey tournament in Stellenbosch; in 2022 she took part in the U16 hockey nationals in Stellenbosch; and was selected to play in the nationals in Bloemfontein but a lack of funds prevented her taking part.
"This tour means a lot to me since it's my biggest achievement so far. It shows I'm capable of achieving greater things in the future," says Thuli. Her and Lino's families are immensely proud of their achievements and are currently raising funds to make the players' dreams come true.
If you would like to assist in any fundraising efforts you can reach out to organisers of the tour, Southern Cape Sports Tours, in order to obtain contact details for the parents of the learners. You can contact Southern Cape Sports Tours via email at info@scst.co or via telephone and WhatsApp on 084 082 5212.
Thuli Magadla (top left) with the Eden girl's hockey team.
Lino Wyn (RIGHT) has been playing hockey since Grade 1 and is passionate about the sport.
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