“We are proud”- Kraai family jubilant as Litha reaches 100 caps for SACS
When Litha Kraai ran out to face Rondebosch Boys’ High at the Brewery AstroTurf on Friday, he ran into the South African College High School (SACS) history books.
The SACS star was given a heartfelt and moving guard of honour by his schoolmates as he became the first player in the school’s history to reach 100 first-team hockey matches.
After the pre-game proceedings were out of the way, Kraai and his teammates delivered a masterclass and dismantled ‘Bosch 9-1, with the man of the moment scoring five goals.
Kraai achieved the centurion milestone in about three years after making his debut in 2023 under the tutelage of former head coach Pierre Le Roux.
Since arriving on the scene, he has, arguably, been the most talked-about schoolboy hockey player in South Africa since Mustapha Cassiem.
Rightfully so, though, because Kraai has showcased his talents on the biggest stages, rising to the occasion to star for his school, club, and country.
He’s been praised by his peers, coaches, and acquaintances and someone who has been there to witness Kraai grow into the young man he is now is his grandmother, Kholiwe Kraai.
Litha grew up in front of her in KwaLanga, Cape Town, with his mother, Asanda, and father, Collen, who is heavily involved with the Langa Hockey Club.
Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus after her grandson achieved the rare feat, Mrs Kraai relived some of his early childhood hockey memories: “Litha grew up right in front of us and attended Thembani Primary School before getting the big opportunity to go to SACS.
“It was always hockey for him. He started playing at around six-years- old with his brother, Zenani. They would spend the whole day at the stadium, playing hockey, and come back late at night, and I always wondered what they were doing all day.”
Mrs Kraai admitted she was clueless about hockey before she first watched her grandsons in action. Immediately, though, she understood the boys’ obsession with the sport. That realisation also came at a time when Kraai was starting to make waves as a junior hockey and cricket player at the southern suburbs school.
“Everything happened fast, and when he moved to SACS, I was told he was becoming a better hockey player,” she shared.
“I was worried about him staying at the hostel, but his mom said he would be okay. He loved hockey more and more, and the support of his brother, father, and uncle encouraged him.”
Fast forward from those years to where he is now, and Kraai has become a household name in schoolboy hockey in South Africa.
Apart from representing SACS week in and week out, he’s donned Western Province colours numerous times and was part of the title-winning side at last year’s SASHOC National Week.
He’s represented South Africa at u17 and u18 level and won the Junior Africa Cup with the u21 team earlier this year.
However, the most eye-catching achievement on his hockey CV is being part of the SA Men’s Indoor Team that won the bronze medal at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia in February. It was a first-ever Indoor Hockey World Cup medal for South Africa, and he played an important role in the team’s success while still in school.
Now, he’s reached 100 games for SACS.
“We are so proud of him, man, and so grateful to the people who have supported him: the coaches, parents at SACS, and his friends. If it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t be where he is now,” Mrs Kraai said.
“The most important thing we preached was for him to focus on his books and then make sure his hockey is also good.
“He has done well for himself and has put our family name on a pedestal,” she concluded.
SACS will be back in action this coming Friday when they take on DF Malan in a league fixture. That will be followed by a big showdown with Paul Roos Gimnasium at the end of the month.
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