The South African U-21 national field hockey team will have their work cut out on December 5 in Malaysia when they face off against Germany in Malaysia's 2023 Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup. 

South Africa is in Pool B with their continental companion, Egypt, and the 2022 Men's EuroHockey Junior Championship top six finishers, France and Germany. The Germans are ranked as the second-best under-21 team in the world, while South Africa is ranked as the 10th-best team. Argentina is the top-ranked team. 

These statistics do not faze Calvin Davis. To him, the playing field is level with each game. It is all about who wants it most for that hour, plus a competition. In other words, pure guts and determination. 

According to Davis, he and his teammates' goal will be to qualify to contest the playoffs.

"It would be a fantastic result if we did because it would mean South Africa is one of the top eight teams in the world. We are under no illusions about the challenge we face. We will have to be at our best to achieve our goal.

"Apart from Germany, we are playing France and Egypt. I am confident that we will beat Egypt. Earlier this year, during the Africa Under-21 Tournament in Cairo, we got the better of them twice. So, France is going to be our crunch game. To be honest, I don't know how good they are."

Davis plays as a defender. Apart from his calm on-field composure, he feels that his ability to read the game is his best quality as a player. 

"Understanding the game makes it possible to pre-empt what could happen. It is easy to intercept the ball and 'pickups.' I try to be my 'own man' on the Astroturf, meaning I don't style the way I play to any role model. But I admire how the Belgium defender, Arthur van Doren, plays."

Two more Tuks student-athletes, Cameron le Forestier and Sian Maart, are also part of the South Africa U-21 national team for the 13th Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup edition. Interestingly, early this year, in March, the TuksHockey trio was part of the national team that won the Junior Africa Cup tournament, qualifying for the upcoming Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup.

Le Forestier will make his second Junior World Cup tournament appearance, while Davis and Maart will make their respective Junior World Cup appearances.

Maart firmly believes that being competitive boils down to honing one's skills to perfection.

"The better your technique, the better you play. I play as an outside midfielder or a 'very high' midfielder. My challenge is to have the ability to outsmart my opponents with nimble footwork and good stickwork. It helps to be tactically savvy as well."