Durban High School duo Hopewell Ntshangase and Zingce Simka have been selected for the U18A sevens squad that will travel to the Commonwealth Youth Games later this year.
The pair will be involved in a camp with the rest of the squad in Stellenbosch before the final squad is selected to take part in the Commonwealth Youth Games, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from August 4-11.
Hopewell said he had been surprised when his coach told him he had been selected for the Commonwealth Youth Games squad, as he didn’t think he had stood a chance.
Hopewell said: “At the moment, I am proud to have the chance to represent my country, as that’s been a goal I have been working towards. I will also have the opportunity to represent my school and my family, so this is a dream come true.”
He said he wanted to ensure he made the final squad that would travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the games, so that he could make his mark on the global stage. He said this would firstly be achieved by heading to a camp with the rest of the squad, and then continuing his development with the DHS team, as “it is world-class, and that will be enough to (allow me to) get prepared and perform at an elite level”.
Hopewell plays as the DHS First XV full-back and says that, although he isn’t the captain, he takes it upon himself to ensure the team has high standards and always has energy. In addition, as a senior in the team, he also keeps the other players motivated all the time.
Zingce represents the DHS First XV as the inside centre. He said the selection made him feel happy, as it was a great reward for all the effort he had made this season.
Zingce said: “I always try my best with whatever I do and try to bring up my name in every conversation. I will do my best during the camp and ensure I make the final squad.”
He said he had faith in the quality of his school’s strength and conditioning programme, and would focus on those two aspects prior to the camp. Through this, he believed he would be well-prepared and might be selected for the final squad.
This will be the duo’s first opportunity to represent South Africa nationally.
The Independent on Saturday