Namibia’s national inline hockey team is looking to build on a remarkable start at the World
Games, hoping to collect more points when they face the host nation, China, in their second
match.
Namibia and China will play tomorrow morning at 06h00. Namibia made history in their first
game, securing their inaugural victory at the prestigious games by beating Chinese Taipei 4-
3.
Nadia Schmidt, the head coach of Namibia’s team, expressed her satisfaction with the win
and is pushing for more success. “We knew that this was a very important game for both
teams, and for us, our mission was to win, and that’s what we did,” Schmidt said. “I think we
gained morale, and this gives us a boost we needed for the next match,”
Today, Namibia will play their second game against the host nation. The coach believes the
team is on the right track to advance. “The team ticked the box with yesterday’s win, and our
plan is to do well in the next matchup to get to the final,” she stated. “I think we are on track,
and we can do this and reach the finals,”
Namibia’s final group match will be against the United States of America tomorrow. The
team’s spokesperson, Stephanie Giersch, is optimistic about their chances. “I think we have
punched above our weight; the results are huge,” Giersch said. “If we win tomorrow’s game,
our chances of getting to the finals aren’t that far from reach. I am positive that our guys will
give it their all and make us proud,” she said.
Inline hockey has been a part of the World Games lineup since 2005. The 12th edition of the
World Games is running from August 7 to 17 in Chengdu, China. The multi-sport event
features athletes from across the globe competing in a wide range of non-Olympic sports.
The participating countries in the inline hockey tournament are host nation China, France,
the Czech Republic, Italy, the United States of America, Chinese Taipei, Argentina, and
Namibia.

-mkambukwe@npec.com.na