Liam Elferink, calm before the storm

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He is one of those who makes one with their element. From his fused relationship with water to his selection in Elite through his title of top scorer in Sheffield, portrait of a great hope of South African underwater hockey, Liam Elferink.

It was in 2012, in Gauteng, in one of the nine provinces of South Africa, that Liam, still a teenager, discovered the sport which today is the source of his life as a young adult. It all started with a story of friendship between two families, the Köstlin and the Elferink. During a discussion, they came to talk about Amy, the daughter of the Köstlins and the sport she practiced in the local club: underwater hockey. It was then that Liam’s parents decided to surprise their son. “My parents took us by car after school, my brother and I. I was the only one who didn’t know where we were going! ”. Coming from a family of swimmers, Liam, the youngest brother, developed a passion for this activity. After a quick break to concentrate on cricket, which seemed for him to be “a better opportunity at the time”, Liam returned to the pools, to never leave them again.

This water lover, who however found swimming boring, had finally found his sport. One that allows him to be at peace with himself, to escape and forget everyday problems. « It really was a loophole. » To be efficient underwater, you have to feel good there. This osmosis, Liam acquired it. He used it to become the formidable competitor that he is today. A shark with a voracious appetite that only successes can satisfy.

« I could never have imagined that underwater hockey would allow me to represent my country in world championships »

Liam has always been a sports fanatic. He excelled in rugby, one of the flagship sports of the rainbow nation. He also got a sponsor to play cricket at St Peters College. If he chose underwater hockey out of passion, he did not forget to perform well there. He won the gold medal at the Junior Underwater Hockey National Championships in 2017 in Durban and 2018 in Potchefstroom with his province of Gauteng. The former club member for Christ Church even won the title of best player in the competition for three years in a row.

His excellent performances obviously interested the South African federation. Thus, in 2019, Liam, now a player for the Normalair Club (NUC) is selected to participate in the world championships in Sheffield in the U19 category where he found a certain… Amy Köstlin, also international U19. He even held the role of captain. « I could never have imagined that underwater hockey would allow me to represent my country in world championships. »

However, he largely met expectations by leading the Springboks to the semi-finals and above all by being top scorer of the tournament, all categories combined with 29 goals. Yes yes 29. If the South Africans failed at the podium after a crazy game against Spain, Elferink exploded the counters, all with a certain casualness since he learned his title from pichichi on the phone, in his bedroom. « I received a screenshot from the official competition site sent by another player’s parent. This is where I could see I was a top scorer.”

The Kyalami kid, who has been training with the Seniors since his second year in Junior, is constantly growing and continues to score goals in inter-club tournaments. He was even selected with the South African Elite team to participate in the next world championships in 2021 on the Australian Gold Coast. A first accomplishment for Liam whose rapid progression seems to surprise himself. “I expected to wait at least six years before playing the worlds with Elite. It’s a great privilege. ”

Like him, we are impatient to see him evolve with the Springboks who will return to the world championships after their absence in Quebec.