It may not be a sport that is very common, but for 21-year-old Strand resident Toufeeq Brinkhuis the opportunity to represent the South African u-23 ringball team is a major accomplishment he relishes and is immensely grateful for.
Ringball is defined as a traditional South African sport that stems from basketball and has been played since 1907. The sport is now promoted in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, India, and Mauritius, well on the way to being established as an international sport.
The former Strand Moslem Primary and Strand High School learner, now pursuing studies in Human Resources, was first introduced to the sport at high school by a teacher and, after some hesitation at first, agreed to try it out.
“I’ve played rugby, hockey and participated in athletics at school, so I think I’m a versatile sportsman and managed to adapt to the rules and structure of ringball,” he said.
“It was a bit tricky at first, but I got the hang of it and started to really enjoy the game.”
That same week Brinkhuis, who is also a netball coach, played his first game and despite some learning errors he finished confident and driven to improve.
“I tried out various positions and finally settled as a defender,” he pointed out.
Eventually Brinkhuis was a regular in the Strand team, hosting games at Strand High School and playing in a league.
“I was out last year with a knee injury, but fortunately I recovered and this year started playing again. As with any other sport you have to be mindful that it does carry injury risks.
“I was initially rusty, but quickly found my rhythm. I was also low in confidence during the trials, but my peers pushed me and motivated me to participate, and luckily I did because I eventually made the SA u-23 team.
“It was such a surprise, but also very encouraging and it put me in a better space. I’ve been going through a lot this year and I needed a win, so I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”
He also admitted he was very appreciative for his parents support. His dad, Toyer, was a well known rugby player back in the day.
“I told my son, what is this? What’s ringball? You need to play rugby, that’s a real sport.
“But after learning about ringball and watching him play, I seen how driven he was what a difference it made in his life, so I immediately threw my full support behind him.”
His mom, Aqeela, added that she is immensely proud of her son. “I always say that a child cannot pursue a parent’s dream, they need to pursue their own dreams, and that’s exactly what Toufeeq is doing”.
Brinkhuis will represent the SA u-23 in a series of ringball games scheduled over the next two months, all of which take place in Gauteng.
“It is costly and is now really short notice for us to raise funds. So I’m hopeful that the community can contribute and assist in rasing the funds I need to make the trips possible.”
Anyone interested in assisting him can contact his mum Aqeela at 083 652 8027.
