Africa-Press – Namibia. THE new hockey season got off with a bang on Saturday when the first round of the Standard Bank Buy ‘n Brick Hockey Champions League was held at the DTS Sports Club in Olympia.
The competition, which was launched at the end of last year, aims to raise funds for the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN), while the competing teams, which were announced at a draft in December last year, have been named after shack areas around Windhoek, Gobabis, Okahandja and Swakopmund.
As such, players were not competing for their regular club sides, but in new teams with new combinations of experience and youth, but they all seemed to be well matched with both the men and women’s leagues being very tight and competitive.
In the men’s league, Kanaan took the early lead after winning three of their four matches to top the log on 10 points.
Kanaan, which includes national players like Richter van Rooyen, Baggio Karigub, Dylan Finch and Nico Jacobs, beat Twaloloka 4-2, Havana 6-3, and DRC 3-2, although they also lost 3-0 to Havana.
Havana are lying second on seven points after beating Kanaan 3-0 and Twaloloka 6-2, while they lost 6-3 to Kanaan and 5-2 to DRC.
Havana includes national players Ernest Jacobs, Fagan Hansen and Robin Kambinda.
Twaloloka and DRC are both on five points after each won one, drew one and lost two of their opening four matches.
Old Boys veteran Siyabonga Martins, who is in the DRC team said it was a great initiative.
“It’s a great initiative by Standard Bank to try and raise as much funds as we can for the Shack Dwellers Federation, but also for hockey in general. We’ve got national players, ex-national players, and some players who think they should be in the national set-up, who are all trying to make the team, so this tournament will help them to see where they are lacking and help them to build their way up,” he said.
“You take two or three games to learn players’ running patterns, but it’s something different and I think the guys are enjoying it and we are slowly getting into the rhythm,” he added.
“It’s quite difficult to say who will win, because the results have fluctuated quite a lot, so I think it will come down to goal difference at the end of the day,” he said.
The women’s competition was even tighter, with all four teams separated by only a point.
Twaloloka lead the log on six points, while Kanaan, DRC and Havana are all on five points.
Twaloloka, which includes national players like Berencia Diamond, Kaela Schimming, Jivanka Kruger, Jerrica Bartlett and Tisha Semedo, won just one match, beating DRC 3-1, but they drew three matches against Kanaan (1-1), Havana (1-1) and DRC (0-0).
Kanaan, DRC and Havana are all on five points, with the first two teams having a pro goal difference and Havana a minus two goal difference.
National captain Maggy Mengo, who plays for Kanaan said it was a great tournament.
“The tournament is for a good cause and we are excited to be here and show some skills and the talent that we’ve been blessed with. I think this is actually good, especially for the national level, to connect and get used to other players in the league as well,” she said.
“It’s a really good initiative and it’s also good preparation for the league, so I’d like to thank the sponsors and organisers of the tournament,” she added.
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