Hilma Nalupe

The Namibian U/21 women’s hockey team showed immense resilience and grit on Wednesday in their classification match against Austria at the Junior Hockey World Cup in Santiago, Chile. 

Despite a determined performance and disciplined play, the team fell short with a 1–3 defeat.

This fixture was their second-last classification match, part of the playoff rounds determining positions 17 to 24 at the global youth event.Head coach Sedtric Makati said the result was disappointing, especially after a strong start from his squad.

“The girls played very hard, but we still lack game experience. We are growing, wtruly,” he said.

Namibia’s debut appearance at the Junior World Cup has been an important learning curve for the young team, who have faced some of the world’s top hockey nations. 

However, the journey has been challenging. They are yet to secure a win at the tournament, suffering defeats of 0-13 to India, 1-4 to Ireland, 0-8 to Germany, 0-4 to Scotland and most recently, 1-3 to Austria.

Despite the results, the players have shown unwavering spirit and are committed to finishing the competition on a positive note.

Their focus now shifts to their final match against regional rivals Zimbabwe, a derby that will determine whether Namibia secures 23rd or 24th place in the tournament standings. 

-hnalupe@nepc.com.na