Ballito underwater hockey star helps SA team to intercontinental silver
Tatton Alexia Bouras was one of 11 team members who shone against strong opposition in the Netherlands.
South Africa’s elite ladies underwater hockey team stunned global rivals to earn silver in their return to international action in the Netherlands.
Ballito’s Tatton Alexia Bouras (31) was one of 11 team members who shone against more fancied competition at the inaugural Europe/Africa Intercontinental Championships in the Netherlands from August 18 to 23. The tournament also served as a qualifier for the 2027 World Championships.
The ladies opened their campaign with a mixed bag of results, beating Spain and the USA, but losing to Türkiye and Great Britain in the round-robin stage.
They did enough to qualify for the quarter-finals, however, and immediately had a chance for revenge against Türkiye. Just one goal decided the tense, high-pressure match, with the South African ladies swimming away as 3-2 victors.
That spurred them on to their biggest challenge of the competition: a semi-final against France, the world’s second-ranked team.
“We were definitely the underdogs and I think they did not know what to expect from us, which worked in our favour,” said Bouras.
South Africa delivered their best performance of the week to claim a historic 4-2 win and produce one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. They went on to face Great Britain in the final and lost 4-1, but the tour was undoubtedly a huge success and confirmed South Africa’s qualification for the World Championships.
“Beating France was obviously a massive highlight. I am so proud of this incredible team,” she said.
“All of us work full-time jobs and do our best to make training and events throughout the year. To stand on stage and sing the national anthem with a silver medal was an amazing feeling!”
Outside of the pool, Bouras is an attorney and a director at Garlicke and Bousfield. She has been a member of the national elite team since 2018.
Underwater hockey receives no government funding, with most tour costs covered directly by the players. However, the team did enjoy some private sponsorship this year, and Bouras thanked Pick n Pay Clothing, SMG Umhlanga and Veldskoen Shoes for their support.
Follow the elite ladies’ team on Instagram: @saeliteladiesuwh
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