Hilma Nalupe

The Namibia Hockey Union (NHU) has received N$4.5 million in sponsorship from the directorate of sport under the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture.

The NHU has been actively seeking and raising funds to send both the U/21 women’s and men’s national teams to the upcoming Junior World Cups, which will take place in December in Chile and India, respectively. 

The government’s financial support is a major boost to the union’s fundraising efforts, which initially aimed to raise N$5 million to cover travel, accommodation, equipment, and other logistical expenses related to the tournaments.

NHU vice president Tunomwaameni Epafras expressed gratitude for the sponsorship and noted that it brings the teams much closer to achieving their dream of competing on the world stage. 

“We are extremely delighted and excited to send our teams to the World Cups with the necessary support to ensure their success. The money from the directorate is 90% of our goal, which was initially N$5 million,” he said.

Epafras added that this sponsorship does not only reflects the government’s commitment to supporting young athletes but also demonstrates the growing recognition of hockey as one of Namibia’s promising sports codes. 

“This sponsorship is a true testament that sport remains a national priority under the current administration,” Epafras said.  -hilmanalupe@gmail.com