Africa-Press – Namibia. NAMIBIA’s national men’s indoor hockey team is due to leave for Cape Town this week to compete in an Indoor Hockey Test Series in preparation for the Indoor World Cup in February next year.
The South African Hockey website, sahockey.co.za already confirmed the tour last week, as both nations step up preparations for the Indoor World Cup in Liege, Belgium from 2 to 6 February 2022.
The four-test series is due to start at the Sunningdale Sports Complex in Cape Town on Thursday, 16 December, and will be followed by three more tests at the same venue on 17 to 19 December.
The Namibian team management on Saturday, however, sent out an email to the ‘Friends of the Namibian Senior Men’s Hockey team’ to help secure funds to make the tour possible, after late financial obstacles delayed the release of funds.
“Following the entrance into the Indoor World Cup (IWC), a very welcome pledge was made by MTC Namibia on 20 September 2021 to the tune of N$900 000 for the team’s crucial preparations for the IWC. Further requests for assistance have been made to the government, through the Namibia Sports Commission, for assistance, as well as to the Solidarity Fund of the National Olympic Committee,” the statement read.
“Various costs have already been incurred during the team’s preparations, and commitments have been made for amongst others the upcoming test series which is days away. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the release of funds for the men’s Indoor World Cup journey to cover these expenses have been delayed,” it added.
The email adds that the ‘Friends of Namibia Senior Men’s Hockey team’ had no choice but to start raising funds for the Cape Town trip to make the SA tour possible, and that they, amongst others, managed to bring in budget cuts to reduce their overall costs exceeding N$500 000.
Delays in the release of funds have, however, necessitated the team’s management to make a direct appeal to its supporters, with the email adding that they need a total of N$243 300 to cover all the costs of the tour.
It said that N$60 000 had already been pledged, but called on supporters to further assist the team. Prospective sponsors can contact Yolande Fourie at 0811279415, Ingrid Hermanus at 0812579619, Renier van Rooyen at 0811281166 or Bruce Hansen at 0811240264.
The secretary of the NHU, Jens Unterlerchner, yesterday said he expected that the tour would go ahead. “It’s been a bit of a challenge to source funds in time, but I am confident that the tour will go ahead,” he said yesterday.
The national men’s coach Trevor Cormack also confirmed that it will go ahead. “The men leave on Wednesday for Cape Town. Strict Covid protocols will be enforced, but at this stage the series is still on,” he said.
The South African Hockey website, meanwhile, announced a 16-man squad last week for the series. It includes all 12 players that beat Namibia 4-1 to win the Africa Cup in April, as well as four players who missed out on the African Indoor Cup of Nations, namely Ryan Julius, Cameron Goodwin, Keegan Hezlett and Marvin Simons.
Several of the players went to the Olympic Games this year including Jethro Eustice, Rusten Abrahams, Ryan Julius and the Cassiem brothers, Dayaan and Mustapha, while Aiden Tun and Marvin Simons recently returned from the FIH Junior World Cup in India.
The team has a great amount of experience in the camp as well with Eustice, Abrahams and Justin Domleo having featured at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in 2018 in Leipzig. The SA team (with caps) is as follows:
Anton von Loggerenberg (8), Cameron Goodwin (5), Bongumusa Mngoma (5), Jethro Eustice (31), Justin Domleo (38), Aiden Tun (8), Daniel Sibbald (5), Ryan Julius (16), Keegan Hezlett (3), Dayaan Cassiem (8), Chad Futcher (9), Lungani Gabela (8), Mustapha Cassiem (8), Steven Paulo (7), Rusten Abrahams (19), Marvin Simons (3).
The 12-man Namibian team (with caps) is as follows: DJ Strauss (captain, 33 caps), Richter van Rooyen (4), Ernest Jacobs (23), Dakota Hansen (14), Nico Neethling (5), Fagan Hansen (10), Brynn Cleak (20), David Britz (5), Liam Hermanus (14), Owen Hatton (5), JP Britz (5) and Dylan Finch (5).
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