Onthatile Zulu gets wings to break hockey barriers

The 23-year-old rounds off the cost of a hockey stick at no less than R4 000 and the shoes to go with her gear at an extra R2 000. 

Usually, her mother foots the bill.  

But now the national team midfielder has Red Bull in her corner, a sponsorship that will not only now cover the damages – Zulu can break barriers in the minority sport. 

“They’ve been amazing,” she tells SABC Sport during a lunch organised to celebrate her latest achievement at swanky restaurant, Artistry. 

The four-star eatery is owned by musician J’Something, who made a special appearance to surprise the Paris Olympic Games-bound player. 

“I haven’t had to worry about any external issues regarding finances or stressing about equipment for the year. All of that...they’ve sorted me out and I’ve just focused on my performance. The past two months have been amazing,” adds Zulu. 

She’s become the first woman in SA to become a Red Bull athlete and that puts the spotlight on her to pave the way for those who want to follow in her footsteps. 

“This is a big thing because there’s a lot of eyes on me. People now want to become like me, so I represent – not only women here – but women in sports. I am overwhelmed and grateful to be in this position. As you know, not a lot of us get recognition and visibility. If you think about rugby, cricket…those are professional sports, hockey isn’t. But this partnership is going to allow me to get more exposure for my code and also means for other people as well. Hopefully I am able to motivate that young girl wanting to play hockey or any sport.” 

Zulu now has a leg up in preparing for the Olympics in France, although she’s not flying solo in a team sport. Team SA is off to their European tour where they will play matches that will prepare them for the global multi-coded competition. 

“It [the sponsorship] already enhances my performance. I won’t have to ask my mom to fund me to buy new shoes – it gets expensive. A stick on average is R4000 and you are looking at shoes that are R2000. It’s amazing knowing she doesn’t have that burden. I am excited to see what the future is going to be like,” she explains.