Cape Town sports star Malikah Hamza continues to break barriers after she secured a spot on South Africa's national hockey team for the upcoming Indoor World Cup.
The 20-year-old Kensington resident has already made history in German hockey as she closes in on 2 000 career goals.
Malikah’s passion for sports started early on, as she was driven by a natural enthusiasm for competition and teamwork.
At school she excelled in various sports such as soccer, golf, cricket, swimming, and water polo, before falling in love with hockey at the age of 9, fully committing to it after finishing high school.
The talented young woman says she had to choose between cricket and hockey, and she’s not spyt she chose the latter as it is now taking her to the global stage.
To date, she has netted an impressive 1889 career goals, 15 of those in international matches.
In 2023, Malikah made history as the youngest South African female to compete professionally for the women's first team of Harvestehuder Hockey Club in Germany.
She says: “It was very different because of the people and culture, but it was an incredible thing to play in another country and being exposed to the style and play of hockey.”
Her remarkable scoring ability has earned her the nickname Malikah “Messi” Hamza within the hockey fraternity.
Her father, Boebie Hamza, recognised her potential at a very young age.
The proud dad says: “I spotted her talent when she was two years old. I knew that she would make it, but it would be hard work to get there. I coached and mentored her in most of her [sports] codes.
Now, Malikah is ready to join a strong squad of 12 for the SPAR SA Indoor Hockey Women’s Team, set to compete in the 2025 FIH Indoor World Cup in Croatia in February 2025.
An excited Malikah says: “It is of course an honour to be playing for SA, let alone a world cup. I just want to make SA proud.”
She says women's sports have gained traction in the country, as evidenced by the excellent results in female sports over recent years.
Malikah is also actively participating in community projects such as the Goals4Foundation and is coaching at the Vygieskraal Hockey Development.
Next week, the prolific athlete will unveil her biography, titled ‘Malikah: The Girl Who Loves Sport,’ which is part of a series inspired by true events from her sporting journey.
She hopes her story will inspire the next generation of athletes in Cape Town.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za