KNYSNA SPORT NEWS - Former Oakhill School learner Samkelo Mvimbi made his debut for the national senior men's hockey team at the end of May, and now takes time to reflect on his debut.
Sam, as he's known, matriculated from Oakhill in 2017 and is now studying towards a B Admin in public management at the University of Pretoria (Tuks).
He has always been a keen hockey player, and was named Oakhill's Sportsperson of the Year in both 2016 and 2017 (winning the Ralph Trophy for playing sport at international level and representing South Africa, as well as the Hilbert Trophy as the 1st XI Boys Hockey player of the year).
After making his national debut for the U18 SA hockey team in 2017, he continued displaying his hockey prowess by playing for Tuks in the 2018 Varsity Cup where he helped his team clinch the title. His hard work eventually saw him being named in the senior SA men's hockey squad for their three-match series against Namibia which would be played towards the end of May.
Leading up to the game, the thought of making his debut on senior national level had Sam's nerves on edge, but he was beyond eager to run out onto the pitch for his country, he says. "I was really nervous, but at the same time I wanted to get it over and done with so that I could concentrate on the game."
The final moments before the game were especially nervy, he says, but his team helped him through. "I was lucky enough to have a relaxed bunch of team-mates who made sure I was cool and ready for the big game at hand," he says. "It was even made more exciting when the coach congratulated me during the team talk."
Sam, who plays as a link, made his debut in the first test of the series as he came off the bench in South Africa's 4-0 win over their Southern African neighbours. Sam would feature for South Africa in the second and third tests too, with South Africa winning both of the final two tests 5-0.
For Sam, being able to secure a whitewash in his first series for South Africa was special. "Getting a clean sweep in my debut series and having made my debut at home were pretty special to me," he says.
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