Langa’s best to don Western Province colours at SASHOC Nationals
The hockey community from Langa, in Cape Town, will be glued to their television screens, the SuperSport Schools App, and DStv channel 216 for the various SASHOC National Weeks, which are approaching rapidly.
That’s because their local club, the Langa Hockey Club, has produced a whopping 12 provincial players, who will represent Western Province in the u13, u14, u16 and u18 tournaments.
The junior tournaments will take place in Johannesburg, while the u16 and u18 events will be hosted by Hilton College, St Anne’s DSG, and Maritzburg College, in KwaZulu-Natal.
The inclusion of a dozen players in provincial sides is a massive achievement for the club, and it shows that they’re that they’re headed in the right direction, said chairman Nyaniso Mhayi.
“As a club, we are very proud of our juniors and the development team behind this achievement,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We believe the opportunities we give these juniors are a good stepping stone for their future within the sports and educational side.
“I don’t think we would’ve achieved this feat without programmes like modified South African Hockey Association (SAHA) and Western Province Hockey Union (WPHU) development. They support our programmes and make sure our juniors attend coaching clinics and have the necessary equipment.”
In the past five years, the club’s performances at the junior level have taken a massive leap. They’ve also become more competitive in the Western Province League 1 and have punched above their weight when facing hockey giants from around the Western Cape.
In 2024, the club enjoyed a strong showing at the Bishops 175 Hockey Festival and it has continued to make further positive strides since then. Mhayi credits the coaches and players for their commitment.
“It’s the love for the sport and personal development from our coaching staff and just the willingness to not give up on a child regardless of their background,” he said, explaining why the club has been so successful.
“Our coaches work very hard and with limited resources, but they make things work, and all that resilience filters through to the juniors; hence, you see a large number of our players in the Western Province hockey set-up.
“We push these guys to be good players but also remember to focus on their schoolwork. They can get opportunities through the sport, and that could change their lives completely, but schoolwork is equally important.”
Milani Bekaphi and Loyiso Mnani will turn out for the Western Province u18B side, while Litha Kraai will represent the A-side.
On the girls’ side, Inam Gungubele has been named in the u18B squad, and Imange Xongo in the regional team.
The club’s goal is to produce as many players as possible in the Western Province set-up and to increase the number of representatives in the A-teams.
“The aim is always to make the top team but, as we know, there’s a large pool of very good players in this province, so it’s not easy for our juniors, but we are proud of anyone who makes it through,” Mhayi said.
“The next generation of players coming up are very good, so hopefully a majority of them could make all these A-teams, but we have a big gap to cover from the other big schools.
“That’s just the reality and not an excuse. We will just keep working hard to produce better players and human beings who can contribute positively to our community,” he concluded.
Langa Hockey Club Western Province Representatives
U18 Boys
Litha Kraai
Milani Bekaphi
Loyiso Mnani
U18 Girls
Inam Gungubele
Imange Xongo
U16 Boys
Limani Makeleni
Simamkele Base
U16 Girls
Onele Nodada B
U14 Boys
Ayabonga Magqaza
Linathi Masimini
U14 Girls
Anelisa Tsholo
U13 Boys
Siya van Wyk A
