This makes him the youngest member of the squad.
The St John’s College matriculant caught the selectors’ eyes while starring for his local team, the u-20 OJ Eagles, during the men’s Currie Cup tournament in Stellenbosch earlier this year.
The Eagles have won the Currie Cup 13 times in the last 15 years. The touring u-20 national side includes five Eagles players, while the senior men’s national side competing in the ongoing FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, includes eight Eagles.
Asked about his reaction to the news, Morais said: “I was obviously very excited and a bit taken aback. I’m the youngest in the side and it’s an awesome feeling being selected for the u-20 national side.
“It means a lot. Water polo is a very physical sport. Normally the players are built and I’m not; I’m a bit smaller than my teammates.
“After all these years of hard training, it means the world to me. I still cannot really believe it and I don’t know what to say. I’ve finally made it!” he enthused.
Quizzed on his history with the sport and what his achievement means as far as putting water polo on the map, Morais explained: “I’ve always been around the sport since my dad coached back in the day. I think I was around six years old.
“It’s very big in Europe and the numbers are increasing. The sport seems to be growing.”
Morais’ water polo résumé includes caps for the national u-16 side that toured Malta in 2015, caps for the national u-17 side that participated in the CANA Youth Championships and the SA Schools u-19A team. Both competitions took place last year.
No-one would argue that being selected for the u-20 national side at 18 is a gem. – @SabeloBoksburg
