An alumna of Hyde Park High School is getting ready to take her team all the way to the Olympics in Japan.
Gillian Doig was recently appointed as the manager for the South African women’s hockey Olympic team. The matriculant of 1984 had a long-standing history with the school as both a learner and as a biology and physical education teacher from 1992 to 2000.
“My passion for hockey started at Hyde Park High School as a young, enthusiastic sports girl who was introduced to hockey for the first time in Grade 8 and culminated in me playing for the first team in grades 11 and 12,” she said.
When Doig returned to the school to teach, she was also the school’s head of sports and the head of girls’ hockey. “My team management skills and passion for the game were extended at the start of my teaching years and further developed at Hyde Park High School during my years there.
“Hyde Park was always incredibly supportive of my role and participation in the South African provincial and national hockey community and for this I will always be extremely grateful. The school allowed me to develop both a skill set, as well as grow as a person, the fruits of which are now evident.”
She noted that the Olympics represented an exciting time in sporting history for the world to celebrate sports and the sporting talents of our country within the constraints of a world pandemic
“This opportunity is a dream come true for any athlete and is an amazing roller-coaster experience, despite all the constraints of maintaining strict Covid-19 protocols.”
The team’s preparation was well underway with their departure for Japan scheduled for the middle of July.
The team is aiming for their best Olympic finish ever, determined to reach the quarter-finals as they face off against Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and India in Pool A.
“Hyde Park High School wishes Gill and the South African women’s hockey team a fantastic Olympic experience as they head off to Japan,” concluded Hyde Park High’s Avril Wright.
Related articles:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/294578/hyde-park-alumna-goes-gold/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/293933/hyde-park-high-rcl-reaches-district-level/
