The word prodigy sticks to Malikah Hamza like sleep to a Saturday morning. It’s clear that the young sports sensation has a massive future ahead of her, but less certain is where she will choose to commit her talent. That’s okay. There’s no rush. Hamza only just started high school.
At this stage, it looks as though the 13-year-old will decide between pursuing cricket and hockey in the long run. Hamza’s name started circulating sports circles in 2013, when she became the youngest South African hockey player to secure professional sponsorship. She was nine. That was the last year she played sport in her own age group, as her ability saw her pushed up the ranks.
Hockey wouldn’t run away with her; she earned a cricket sponsorship two years later. Hamza’s natural ability in the sport saw her become the youngest woman ever to compete at professional level when she played for the Western Province Combined Club XI against Zimbabwe’s Senior Women’s National Team in a T20 International. From here, one can only imagine her soaring higher. With her sights set on representing her country at the Junior Olympics in 2018 in spite of her age, she has the confidence to match her promise.
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