The Namibia women’s junior hockey team is gearing up for a historic moment.
They look forward to their debut at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile.
With excitement and determination running high, captain Azaylee Philander and coach Cedric Makati shared their thoughts ahead of the tournament.
Philander said the team aims to make an impression despite being placed in a tough group.
“We would very much like to come top three in our pool. We have a strong pool with Germany, India and Ireland, so it would be great if we can come third and then take it from there,” she said.
“Not all the teammates have been here at training, and that’s one of our main challenges. But once we get to Chile and start our practice games, we’ll overcome it. To India, Germany and Ireland, we are honoured to be playing against you. Namibia is coming with our best. We know you are training hard. We are doing the same.
We are not going to stand back. Let’s give each other hard games, and may the best team win. Playing for your country comes with perks.
Coming to Chile will be amazing. Santiago is the perfect place for a Junior World Cup,” said the captain with excitement.
Makati echoed her captain’s optimism, noting that their immediate goal is to register a win in the pool stage.
“My first expectation is to win a game in the pool section. We know we have a tough pool, but it’s doable. We have players in South Africa and Europe, and the biggest challenge is getting them to play in cohesion as one team.
But we will get there. For most of the girls, this is their first big international tournament. The first game against India will be tough, but we’ll take it stride by stride. Namibia, thank you for your support.
The girls will step up their game. For the fans in Chile, come support us. You’ll see what Africa can produce,” he said.
Namibia is drawn in Pool C alongside India, Ireland and Germany.
Their matches are scheduled for 1 December against India, 3 December against Ireland and 5 December against Germany.