WALMER hockey player, Nomnikelo Veto, has made a name for herself as one of the top players in the country.
Veto told PE Express that she started playing hockey when she was nine years old. Veto said that her Clarendon Park Primary School coach introduced her to hockey.
Veto’s elder sisters encouraged and motivated her to be more serious about the sport and develop a passion for hockey and she was later encouraged by her high school coach.
She revealed that she first made an Eastern Province B team when she was in Grade 6, which led to her representing her region in matches around the country. When she was in Grade 11, she was picked to represent South Africa in SA U/18 B.
The following year she was selected for the SA U/18 A and SA U/21 teams, while she was in Grade 12. Veto represented her country during the Hockey African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games at U/21 level and Hockey AFCON senior level in 2019.
She explained, “We played the summer series at the beginning of the year against Ireland and Germany and we played some games against China.
“At international level, hockey is indeed very tough and extremely competitive. My aim is to play my heart out to qualify for our country to play in the Olympics Games.”
Veto said playing hockey was what she loved more than anything else. She said the sport had opened many doors for her, including winning a bursary to study at a tertiary institution.
She said, “Playing hockey has instilled more discipline in me and I have tight schedule of hockey that keeps me to busy. Sport allows anyone to grow and provides many opportunities like getting scholarships. Above all, you make a name for yourself when you play sport seriously.”
She urged the youth to study very hard, as education opens many doors for them to fulfil their dreams.
“The youth must take sport seriously. Every young person must study very hard and work harder to get a qualification or a skill that can further their lives,” concluded Veto.
