The one thing the 19-year-old Sian Maart enjoys is “eliminating” opponents during an attack in a hockey game.
It might sound like he is going to extremes, but he is not. The reality is that the 19-year-old Tuks player’s passion is hockey. When he plays. It does not matter which team. Only one thing matters, and that are to win.
“I love to be on the attack during a game. There is a definite thrill to ‘eliminate’ the opposition,” said Maart, who represented the Proteas in the recent Africa Under-21 Tournament in Cairo.
When told to use the words to “eliminate opponents,” make it sound as if he is the bully on the team. Maart only laughs and then explains what he means.
“What attracted me to hockey is the fast paste at which the game is played. To be competitive means, you must hone your skills to absolute perfection. The better your technique, the better you play. I play as an outside midfielder or a ‘very high’ midfielder. It boils down to having the ability to outsmart your opponents with nimble footwork and good stickwork. It definitely helps to be tactically savvy as well. To me, this comes down to ‘eliminating’ your opponents.”
Maart matriculated at Paul Roos Gimnasium in Stellenbosch, so it can’t be wondered what made him decide to come to Tuks.
“For a long time, I have admired the quality of hockey played at Tuks. As far as I am concerned, Sigz Ntuli is the best coach in South Africa. I want to be coached by him.”
According to Maart, he was also an avid rugby player and an athlete at primary school. Sprinting used to be his thing. In his prime, he could clock 11.20s over the 100 metres.
“I know it is not that fast, but for hockey, it is fast enough.”
Maart admits there are days when he wonders how his sports career would have played out had he decided to stick to playing rugby, especially since there is big money to be made in the professional game.
“I played as flyhalf or fullback. In my matric year, I could not resist the urge to play rugby again. Without my coach’s knowledge, I played a game or two. My coach was quite upset when he found out about it. He threatened to take me off the team. And so my rugby career ended. I have no regrets. Hockey is my game. My immediate goal is to make sure I get to play for the Proteas under-21-side who will be competing at the World Cup at the end of the year.”