Port Elizabeth hockey star Ongeziwe Mali intends showing that size does not matter when she represents South Africa at the Vitality Women’s Hockey World Cup which kicks off in London today.
Going up against Germany in their first match, Mali is ready to pit her skills against the best female players from across the globe as they descend on the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre for the 16- team competition.
Speaking to Weekend Post Mali, who hails from Zwide, said she felt blessed at having gained this opportunity at such a young age.
“I am very blessed and honoured to be part of the team, because it is a dream I have always had, to play for the national team.
“I am also a little bit nervous, being the youngest in the team. I did not expect this opportunity to come at this age, but I will grab it with both hands and do my best to make everyone proud,” Mali said.
A former Summerwood Primary School pupil, Mali’s first foray onto the hockey field came when she was just 10 years old, after she was introduced to the game by a friend.
Mali has gone on to win countless awards, including the junior player of the tournament award at the Premier Hockey League (PHL).
She has represented Eastern Province hockey at various age group levels, including representing SA U18 and U21 sides before making her senior debut at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games earlier this year.
The turning point for the former Pearson matriculant came when she shone at the St Mary ’s Hockey festival.
She was voted player of the tournament and that led to her hearing a bursary to attend the Investec Hockey Academy.
The bursary placed Mali under the guidance of two-time Proteas Olympian Shelley Russell, who helped her hone her on-field skills.
“I would say I have grown a lot in the last year, both as a player and as a person. There have been a number of achievements of which I am very proud,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to make this South African side, so it was part of my goal and I would put it down to all the hard work I have done.
“I am the youngest member of the team; it has helped me grow a lot, because when you come in, people don’t expect a lot from you, but then you just go out and show them why it was that you were selected.”
Making the jump from provincial to international hockey was a bit daunting, the young attacker said, but opportunities such as going to the Commonwealth Games had been a major influence on her.
“Playing at the Commonwealth Games was a big deal for me. I was a bit nervous, seeing that it was an international competition with the best countries, but the experience was something I learnt so much from, and will never forget,” she added.
She earned a bursary to attend the James Madison University in Virginia where she will be studying microbiology, while also playing hockey for the university. Mali will travel directly to the USA once the World Cup has concluded.
Mali played a number of other sports at school level, including cricket, soccer, tennis and earned provincial colours for some of them. She said juggling both sports and academics was tricky and often saw her having to miss matches to study for exams, or vice versa, but she said it was all about prioritising her time to make sure it was used wisely.
Asked what the most valuable lesson sport had taught her, she said: “You can use your background as a root; not many people come from good backgrounds, but if you use it as a root, plant and nurture it, to make sure that it one day blossoms into this beautiful flower that you can be proud of later in life.
“It also reaffirms the notion that hard work will always beat talent if talent does not work hard.”