Wits hockey players hit it big with national team call ups
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The Wits community comes together to celebrate their fellow Witsies as they make significant strides toward the national hockey team.
The Wits community can be proud again as two of the university’s hockey players received national team call-ups to represent South Africa at an upcoming hockey tournament in Malaysia. Morgan de Jager and Shanna Mendonça are the two Witsies flying the Wits flag high.
The Wits Hockey Club has been producing top tier players and top tier results for a long time, and this year is no different. Mendonça and de Jager are the newest Wits athletes to join the ranks of those representing South Africa on the global stage. De Jager mentioned her excitement at representing the nation, “Representing your country on the international stage is always an honour and blessing. Very few people get the opportunity to do so, so that’s why each time I play in the green and gold I recognise the importance and privilege of the occasion.”
This is de Jager’s second call up to the senior national hockey team, after playing in the senior team against India in a series in 2023. Since then, she has played in the junior team, and this call up gives her the opportunity to play in the ‘big leagues’ once again. De Jager wears many hats in the Wits community, in addition to being a stellar hockey player, she is an honours student, currently studying Bcom Hons in Marketing, and is the chairperson of the Wits Hockey Committee as well as gender and equity transformation officer for the Wits Sports Council. This is quite the list to juggle, but she does it with grace and that has landed her in great places.
Mendonça discovered her call up when she was added to a WhatsApp group chat called “SAW Malaysia” and the excitement set in immediately. “It feels great. Knowing all the time, energy and effort that I’ve put in and that others have invested in me is humbling and made me extremely grateful- definitely affirms that hard work pays off - and I have even more motivation now to strive for more and represent myself, my family, my support system and my country as a whole.”
Mendonça started her journey as a hockey player when she was in grade 3, and she has played it ever since. She shared her advice for other student athletes, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. Take care of your physical and mental wellbeing. Treat yourself and others with respect. Learn to love the process. Work hard & have fun.”
The two students will be setting off to Malaysia for their competition and the Wits community wishes them all the best. Both Mendonça and de Jager have high hopes for the tournament and for their careers in the future, and with their diligence and work ethic, those dreams seem very close.
