Hilma Nalupe
The Namibian national indoor hockey teams are currently in Cape Town, South Africa, competing in the 2025 Nkosi Cup.
The defending champion women’s team, Namibia, opened their campaign in style, winning their first match 7-3 against Zimbabwe last Friday. The men’s team also started on a positive note, edging the United States of America 6-5 in their opening fixture.
In their second matches on Saturday, the women continued their impressive form with another 7-3 victory, this time against New Zealand. The men’s team, however, were narrowly beaten 5-3 by Australia.
Speaking after the win against New Zealand, women’s head coach Shayne Cormack expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, particularly given the youthful makeup of the squad.
“We came here to build for the next three years. We set our hopes on beating Zimbabwe and then seeing how we cope against the other four teams, because we know we’ve got it in us, we just weren’t sure with the lack of experience,” said Cormack.
Women’s team captain Kiana Cormack echoed the coach’s sentiments, saying the team could not have asked for a better start to the tournament.
“I’m obviously ecstatic because what more could you ask for? Two wins to start the tournament, especially with our super young team getting their first international caps, I’m just proud of the team,” she said.
The Namibian women’s team is currently ranked first at the Cup, with Australia in second position and South Africa in third, while the men’s team is ranked second, with South Africa in first and New Zealand in third position.
Both teams will continue their Nkosi Cup campaign until tomorrow, when the tournament comes to an end.