GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Eden District Hockey will see one of its provincial youth teams return to the A Section of a national tournament next year, following the U13 Eden boys' B Section triumph in Bloemfontein last week.
The U13A Eden boys side was one of six sides that Eden District Hockey dispatched to inter-provincial tournaments (IPTs).
The other five were the U13A girls, the U16A boys and girls, and the U18A boys and girls. All six of the sides took part in the B Section of their respective IPTs, that were held in Bloemfontein.
The U13 boys and girls tournaments were the second in the series, held from 2 to 5 July, following on from the U18s (25 to 30 June) and preceding the U16s (7 to 12 July), which only wrapped up yesterday.
The U18 Eden boys, coached by Georgian Gertian van der Linde and managed by Knysnarian Wanda Mtshilibe, were the first Eden side to throw down the gauntlet. They narrowly missed out on promotion to the A Section, losing the final 2-1 to Southern Gauteng B courtesy of a last-minute goal for Southerns. The U18 girls finished 10th in their IPT.
Hoping to better their senior counterparts' performances, the U13 Eden teams bussed off to Bloemfontein with high hopes.
The Eden U13 boys team engage in a team huddle.
Things didn't quite work out for the U13 girls, who finished eighth, but the boys were in a class of their own. Coached by Knysnarian Lumko Mart and managed by Mossel Bay's Daphne Basson, the U13 Eden boys not only emerged victorious in the B Section, but did so by winning every single one of their seven games.
They simply outplayed and outclassed every opposition they faced on their way to victory, with Eden's Konrad Gouws emerging as the B Section's top goal scorer.
The team was made up of Sange Mayekiso (goalkeeper), Jayden Solomons, Stian Basson, Migael Fick, Dehan Meyer, Konrad Gouws, Yandisa Litole (captain), Adam Goldberg, Johannes Immelman, Nico Pretorius, Buhle Sompani, Chulumanco Mgudlwa, Nkosinathi Vanqa and Sergio Solomons.
Their efforts will now see Eden return to the U13 IPT A Section for the first time since 2019. Next year they will face off with Western Province, Southern Gauteng, KZN Coastals, Eastern Province, Northern Gauteng, Boland and Amathole.
At the U16 IPT, neither the boys or girls Eden sides could replicate the U13s or U18s' success. The U16 boys finished ninth, and the U16 girls finished 12th.
Eden's U13 boys captain Yandisa Litole in action during the IPT. Photos: Daphne Basson
Sergio Solomons during a warm-up session.
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