Photo by [Business Live]
Mustapha Cassiem is making headlines for his incredible feats on the hockey field. He was named the best young player at both the FIH Hockey World Cup in India and the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in South Africa, held a month apart in 2023. At the age of 20, the future looks bright for the young hockey star.
Cassiem said although it is gratifying and extraordinary to achieve individual honours, his focus has always been to do and give his best for the team, his family and the country.
“That was not my focus, to focus on the individual awards, and I think that comes after. I think I really just focused on being the best I can for my team, for my family and for South Africa. It’s really special that you can achieve these things because you know that you’ve done the work, you’ve gone to the gym, you’ve put in the extra hours, and to reap that reward is really special.”
Cassiem Family Values
Cassiem comes from a sporting family. He said his grandfather was a Rugby player, his father was an all-round athlete who played various sports, and his brother Dayaan Cassiem is an established national team hockey player.
His love for hockey stemmed from accompanying his father and brother on the hockey field. He began playing hockey at the tender age of five.
In many respects, Dayaan’s influence and accomplishments lit the path for Cassiem’s career. Over time they began to walk alongside each other as teammates on the field and as friends.
Cassiem said he maintains a good and close relationship with his brother. They are each other’s competitors, motivators and supporters.
“We get on really well, and there’s times where we put each other under a lot of pressure. We have moments where we’re super hard on each other because we want to achieve. My brother set the path for me in many ways with his hockey career and his love. He’s a role model, and having that big brother is always special. But I think the connection we have honestly is something I’m really just happy about because we understand each other, and we know exactly where to be and when to be. It’s incredible.”
Academic Opportunity
In 2014, Cassiem was offered an opportunity to attend Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town. There, he nurtured his athletic abilities by participating in various sports such as Rugby, Cricket and Hockey. However, hockey was not always his first choice.
“There was a period in my sporting and school career where I turned a lot to rugby because my grandfather played rugby [and] my dad played rugby. I was heading more towards rugby, and then later in grade 11, I had to make a choice, and my heart chose hockey.”
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Representing the National Team
Cassiem said it has always been a dream he had to represent South Africa on the hockey field. A dream he realised when he made his debut in a test series in 2020 against the USA in front of his loved ones.
“It was a dream debut playing the likes of the USA. I think they are not a highly-ranked side within hockey … We actually won the test series. It’s been a dream of mine to represent my country at a young age, and I think having my brother there and having my family there, what better feeling can you have? I think it was extremely special, and I’m really grateful that I was able to make my debut back then.”
He would go on to be selected for the national team, which would represent the country at the 2020 summer Olympics.
“It felt pretty surreal being in the presence of guys like Dani Alves, footballers like that. Tennis players Djokovic and the guys. It was amazing to see these guys around you, in the dining hall eating with you. The experience for me was indescribable man. I don’t think I can really put it into words. It was incredible.”
Support Circle
The life of a hockey player is a fast-paced environment, which can affect a player’s mental and physical well-being. However, Cassiem said he has never struggled in that regard. Due to the love and support he receives from his family, friends and teammates.
“I think that’s what I’ve really not struggled with. I really managed that quite well in the past week or two weeks coming from two tough World Cup campaigns. I think you really have to appreciate those moments, take the good and the bad. That’s where you really become mentally tough. But luckily, I have the people closest to me. My family [supports] me and my teammates. It’s honestly just special that everyone has each other’s backs.”
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Challenges as a Hockey Player
Though hockey may be a well-respected and earning sport with a large audience in some parts of the world, in South Africa, it fails in comparison to sports such as Rugby, Soccer and Cricket. For hockey players, it’s challenging to build a financial career from it unless South African players play abroad.
“As a South African hockey player, I’m sure I can speak for a lot of guys in the team. It’s extremely difficult. You don’t get paid for playing for your country. Where the likes of the soccer guys, the cricketers and the rugby guys get paid to play for their country.”
Apart from the financial shortcomings, Cassiem said, he and other players represent their country for the love of the sport and to inspire and nurture the talents of the next generation of hockey players.
“We have this motto in our indoor team … We want to walk the dusty road so that those guys can walk the highways.”
