KNYSNA NEWS - Local hockey star and Protea player Sam Mvimbi is returning home next week to host a special three-day hockey clinic alongside Mart Sports Academy.

The aim of the clinic is to help children prepare for the upcoming hockey season under the guidance of one of the best in the business, a member of the national men's hockey team. 

Sam Mvimbi is the first hockey player from Knysna (and the whole of the Southern Cape) to play for South Africa, and he is eager to repay the faith and support bestowed on him as a youngster that helped him reach such heights.

"I would never be where I am without the hometown support I have received every step of the way along my hockey journey," he said. "There is so much hockey talent in Knysna and the Southern Cape, and I'd like to do my part in helping nurture and develop that in whatever way I can."

Attendance of the clinic will need to be paid for, but it is not without reason.

Mvimbi will soon be travelling back to France where he now plies his trade as a hockey player when not on national duty, and potentially has tours with the Proteas coming up too. 

However, hockey is still an amateur sport in South Africa and for the national team to make tours possible, players more often than not need to secure their own funding, be it through sponsorships or fundraising efforts.

Therefore, proceeds from the clinic will go towards overcoming these financial challenges for Mvimbi.

The three-day clinic will be held at the Knysna High School astroturf in the middle of town from Friday to Sunday, 24 to 26 February. It will take place on Friday afternoon from 14:00 to 17:00 and on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 08:00 to 14:00 for girls and boys between the ages of nine and 19 years old.

You're able to book either a one-, two- or three-day package for the clinic. For further information on the clinic and how to register, you can visit www.martsportsacademy.co.za.

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