Hilma Nalupe
The Namibia U/21 hockey men’s team will make its debut at the men’s Junior World Cup against Belgium today in Tamil Nadu, India.
The World Cup, scheduled for 28 November to December this year, marks a significant milestone for Namibian hockey. The country continues to make strides on the global stage, particularly in youth development structures.
The team played a warm-up against Canada on Wednesday, where they were defeated 4-2. Head coach Johan Weyhe expressed his team’s satisfaction with the result, stating that they did well against Canada, ranked 14th in the world, compared to Namibia, ranked 34th.
The warm-up match also gave the technical team a clearer picture of where the squad stands in terms of fitness and composure under pressure. Despite the loss, the players reportedly showed strong character and moments of brilliance that the coaching staff believes can be sharpened further during the World Cup.
According to Weyhe, the team is in great shape and performed well despite losing the match, he believes they are ready to play Belgium today.
Belgium is ranked 7th in the world, and presents a tough opening challenge, but the Namibian team is confident they can put up a competitive fight and showcase their growth.
“The humidity is very high, but we are pushing through and training every day. We lost against Canada, but I think that’s a very good result. Namibia played very well, and we are in great shape. However, we need to iron out a few things, and we can say we are ready for the World Cup,” Weyhe said.
The coach added that adapting to the weather conditions in India has been one of the biggest adjustments, but the team’s morale remains high.
Weyhe urged the Namibian nation to rally behind the boys and support them throughout their World Cup journey.