Women in Sport: Hockey legend till feeling patriotic … even from Holland

Though she has settled down with her family on another continent more than 12 000km away, and it has been five years since she represented her country, former SA women’s hockey captain Marsha Cox says she will always be South African at heart.

And though she admits poor sports administration remains a concern in various codes back home, Cox hopes the Springbok team’s victory at last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan will provide a springboard for the national squad at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July.

“I keep in touch with a lot of people and I’m still patriotic, so I do follow South African sport very closely,” Cox said this week from her home in the Netherlands.

“Winning the Rugby World Cup was a huge achievement for the nation and I think it probably fired up a lot of sports people and has given them lots of motivation.

“But there does seem to be too much interference politically. Not from a government perspective, but from an administrative perspective.”

A three-time Olympian, Cox is holding thumbs that sideline issues, financial constraints and poor governance in multiple codes will be addressed ahead of the Tokyo Games.

Either way, she hopes the country’s ability to perform at the highest level will translate into medals at the quadrennial showpiece.

“We need to communicate with the athletes and put them first. I think sometimes we lose focus on that, and sometimes I think it’s getting worse rather than getting better,” Cox says.

Ellen Hoog of the Netherlands beats Marsha Cox of South Africa during The Hartleyvale Summer Series match between Investec South Africa and The Netherlands at The Hartleyvale Hockey Stadium in Observatory on January 18, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Peter Heeger/Gallo Images)

“We have such talent and potential in South Africa, but it seems within our sporting structures it is external influences that are affecting performances.”

Born in Durban, Cox started playing hockey at the age of six, after being introduced to the game by her mother Marian Marescia, a former player and coach.

After making her debut against the United States in 2001 as a teenager, she went on to play more than 330 Tests for the SA team.

First handed the captain’s armband in 2006, Cox became an influential skipper and her performances as a worldclass midfielder resulted in her being named in the FIH Women’s World XI in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Before announcing her retirement in August 2015, she also represented South Africa at three editions of the Olympic Games, as well as three World Cups and four Commonwealth Games.

Married to Alexander Cox, coach of top-flight Dutch league team SV Kampong, 36-year-old Cox continues to showcase her skills in the Dutch veterans’ league.

Turning out for the Klein Zwitserland club in the second-tier division, she played a key role in the first half of the 2019/20 season, helping the side climb 15 points clear at the top of the standings, and they are aiming for promotion to the premier league when the campaign continues next month.

Though it is limited to players over the age of 30, the veterans’ league features the likes of former Dutch internationals Kim Lammers, Naomi van As and Ellen Hoog, and Cox says it keeps her on her toes.

“It’s extremely competitive and it’s great to pitch up for games and see some of the international players you played against during your career,” she says.

“The league includes Olympic and World Cup gold medallists, and nobody likes losing so it’s tough out there, but there’s a nice balance and I’m enjoying it.”

Off the field, Cox has previously served as a club manager, worked as a television commentator and sat as a member of global body the FIH’s athletes’ commission.

Though she isn’t as actively involved these days, she does still serve as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) steering committee.

Cox has also focused some of her attention in recent years on a development hockey project at the primary school she attended in Greenwood, Durban.

“This project is close to my heart and close to home,” she says.

“It’s not just about the sport. It’s about uniting the community. I just want to provide opportunities for people who would be otherwise excluded and help kids develop life skills.

“It’s about breaking barriers of integration with neighbouring communities and I’m really grateful to still be involved.”

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