Talented du Toit gets national hockey call-up
Jean-Leigh du Toit (15), a prodigious Benoni Northerns Junior Hockey (BNJH) talent, was recently selected for the South African u-16 team by the South African Schools Hockey Association (Sashoc).
The Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen pupil, who captains Eastern Gauteng provincially, said that the selection came as a massive surprise to her, because it is usually only players from the provincial A-league who are selected for national teams, whereas she plays in the B-league.
“It really is a huge honour and privilege for me to be selected for the team,” she said.
“I will play for the badge and not for myself.”
Du Toit started playing hockey in Grade Six while in Laerskool Concordia, and has taken to the sport like a duck to water.
“It’s a lot more fun than netball, because there’s just more action,” she explained
At the moment she has been playing in the centre link position.
“To be a good link you need to be able to read the game well and know the structure of your team; you must know the basics well and you have to be fit,” she added.
Her goal is to be South Africa’s next Pietie Coetzee (her hockey role-model).
The youngster thanked the coaches who have got her this far, her teammates and her sponsor, AJM Engineering.
