Hilma Nalupe
The Namibia U/21 national women’s and men’s hockey teams are heading to the Junior Hockey World Cups with the goal of being in the top 15. Both teams depart on Sunday, with the men competing from 28 November to 10 December, and the women from 1 to 13 December in Chile.
Their send-off ceremony was held yesterday at Wanderers Sports Club, hosted by the Namibia Sports Commission and the Namibia Hockey Union.
Ahead of departure, both teams played their final practice matches on Wednesday evening.
The men faced a combined senior men’s team from different clubs, while the women played an all-boys team, Desert Stallions.
U/21 men’s head coach, Johan Weyhe, said the team’s preparations have been driven by their ambition to secure a place among the top 15 nations at the World Cup.
“The best teams in the world will be there, but we have prepared well enough; we are aiming for the top 15,” he said.
Midfielder Josh van der Merwe said the team’s hard work and expectations have positioned them to achieve this target. He added that the squad is excited and determined to deliver a strong performance.
The women’s team is also entering the tournament with competitive intent. Head coach Sedtric Makati said they will play a warm-up match against Canada upon arrival to measure their readiness. Their demanding training programme, particularly the decision to compete against male teams, was designed specifically to elevate their pace and prepare them for the fast pace expected at the World Cup.
“Practice has been hard, but we have been playing against males to improve the ladies’ speed. The players at the World Cup are generally faster, we wanted to play faster teams to see how we would cope with our defence and attack,” Makati explained.
Ladies’ captain Azaylee Philander said the team is fit, prepared and aiming high. They hope to finish in the top three in their pool, which includes India, Ireland and Germany.
Namibia Hockey Union president, Carin Slabbert, wished both teams well and encouraged them to represent the country with pride. She thanked sponsors and government partners for making participation in the prestigious event possible.
-hnalupe@nepc.com.na