Tuks player loves winning hockey games
As a midfielder, the Tuks player lives for that moment, to catch the opposition defence off-guard and seeing the ball hit the back of the net.
The one guaranteed way to get Tuks’ Samkelo Mvimbi’s adrenaline pumping is to give him a hockey stick and tell him his team’s honour is at stake.
He is sure to take to the challenge. As a midfielder, the Tuks player lives for that moment, to catch the opposition defence off-guard and seeing the ball hit the back of the net.
Mvimbi admits that every time he scores, he gets a rush but he is also quick to point out there is no “I” in team.
“Playing hockey is always about what is best for the team. That is why I will never be obsessed with personal statistics. If the team wins, I win.
“Sometimes it is a bigger thrill setting up that scoring opportunity that changes the outcome of a game.”
It is this tactical savviness and selflessness that led to Mvimbi consistently representing South Africa in each age-group.
Last year he made his big breakthrough when he was selected to the Proteas team that played Namibia.
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Since then, he has gone on to play a further seven tests.
Currently, he is in the Proteas squad facing off against Germany. According to Mvimbi, this has changed his perception of the game.
“Playing against Germany for me is taking hockey to a whole new level. We got hammered in the first test. I now realise what it is going to take to be at my best at an international level.”
There is a real chance that Mvimbi might be in the South African squad to the Tokyo Olympics. For the Tuks player, that will be a dream come true.
Mvimbi believes he and Peabo Lembethe, who captained Tuks to glory in the Varsity championship two years ago, will make the Olympics team. He says Lembethe is also a midfielder but not a rival.
“Peabo and I bring something entirely different to the team. Peabo has got an unbelievable work rate and a sense of what is happening on the field.
“He is possibly one of the best distributors and will pass the ball not for its own sake. There is a clear plan with every pass,” Mvimbi explained.
“I aim to do the same but I tend to perhaps be a bit more aggressive. I like to take the game forward, setting up scoring opportunities.”
Mvimbi started playing hockey at Oakhill School in Knysna and it could be said that he fell in love with the game the first time he dribbled past an opponent.
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He lists winning the Varsity tournament with Tuks in 2018 as a personal highlight and rightly so. Within the first seven minutes of the final, he outfoxed the Maties defence with a brilliant foot-and-stick work to score a two-point goal that set the tone for the rest of the game Tuks ended up winning 5-0.
If Mvimbi can help Tuks defend the title later this year, it would be mission accomplished as far as he is concerned.
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