Standard Bank Junior hockey to fuel national team selection
Hockey
The fifth edition of the The fifth edition of the Standard Bank Junior Hockey tournament, held at Windhoek High School hockey stadium on Saturday, featured 300 participants, 30 teams, 15 boys’ and 15 girls’ sides from 13 regions short of Kavango East as a participant.
Success
Project coordinator Erwin Handura described the 2025 tournament as a major milestone. “This programme started in 2021 when we introduced hockey to all 14 regions. Every year since, we’ve held regional leagues and tournaments culminating in this national event. The only region missing this year was Kavango East, but nonetheless, it was a success,” he said.
Handura confirmed that the tournament is now part of Namibia’s talent identification pipeline.
“We will end up with 32 players. When we have training camps, you can have four teams and play mini-tournaments over a weekend,” he said. “Our selection is based on players who went to Zimbabwe last year, those who competed in Cape town this year, and new talent that surfaced in this tournament.”
Future Namibian hockey players
Carin Slabbert, president of the Namibia hockey union, praised the initiative, “It was such a pleasure to be here today to see all the talent from the different regions,” Slabbert said. “If you look at the talent and skill level on show today, I’m sure there are future Namibian hockey players here already part of different teams. This is one of our two development programs, and it was also a finalist in the Namibia Sports Awards. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all the players that participate today.”
Performance
In the semi-finals in the boys’ section, Okahandja defeated Gobabis 1-0, while Rehoboth overcame Ongwediva 3-2 in shootouts after a 2-2 draw . In the girls’ semi-finals, Ongwediva beat Windhoek 1-0, while Gobabis edged Keetmanshoop 2-1. Bronze-medal matches saw Okahandja beat Ongwediva 1-0, and Ongwediva girls defeat Keetmanshoop 1-0. In the finals, Rehoboth defeated Gobabis 2-0 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to claim the boys’ title, while Windhoek beat Gobabis 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to win the girls’ gold. Handura praised the skill level displayed throughout the tournament.
“The level of skill we saw today is immaculate. This is the future of Namibian hockey,” he said. “We are selecting 50 boys and 50 girls for a high-performance group who will be groomed for national teams.”
Individual awards
Individual honours went to Luciano Doiseb (Gobabis boy) and Marsha Ambulawaye (Windhoek girl ) as best goalkeepers, Daniel Tuyambeka (Rehoboth boy) and Viola Mangura (Windhoek girl) as best defenders, and most valuable player (MVP) awards to Prince-Lee Kasanga (Windhoek boy) and Tjimaarija Kahitu (Gobabis girl). Handura also thanked Standard Bank Namibia for five years of sponsorship, which has helped players save MVP prize money in DigiYouth accounts, as well as all partners, coaches, and parents for their support.
Success
Project coordinator Erwin Handura described the 2025 tournament as a major milestone. “This programme started in 2021 when we introduced hockey to all 14 regions. Every year since, we’ve held regional leagues and tournaments culminating in this national event. The only region missing this year was Kavango East, but nonetheless, it was a success,” he said.
Handura confirmed that the tournament is now part of Namibia’s talent identification pipeline.
“We will end up with 32 players. When we have training camps, you can have four teams and play mini-tournaments over a weekend,” he said. “Our selection is based on players who went to Zimbabwe last year, those who competed in Cape town this year, and new talent that surfaced in this tournament.”
Future Namibian hockey players
Carin Slabbert, president of the Namibia hockey union, praised the initiative, “It was such a pleasure to be here today to see all the talent from the different regions,” Slabbert said. “If you look at the talent and skill level on show today, I’m sure there are future Namibian hockey players here already part of different teams. This is one of our two development programs, and it was also a finalist in the Namibia Sports Awards. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all the players that participate today.”
Performance
In the semi-finals in the boys’ section, Okahandja defeated Gobabis 1-0, while Rehoboth overcame Ongwediva 3-2 in shootouts after a 2-2 draw . In the girls’ semi-finals, Ongwediva beat Windhoek 1-0, while Gobabis edged Keetmanshoop 2-1. Bronze-medal matches saw Okahandja beat Ongwediva 1-0, and Ongwediva girls defeat Keetmanshoop 1-0. In the finals, Rehoboth defeated Gobabis 2-0 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to claim the boys’ title, while Windhoek beat Gobabis 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to win the girls’ gold. Handura praised the skill level displayed throughout the tournament.
“The level of skill we saw today is immaculate. This is the future of Namibian hockey,” he said. “We are selecting 50 boys and 50 girls for a high-performance group who will be groomed for national teams.”
Individual awards
Individual honours went to Luciano Doiseb (Gobabis boy) and Marsha Ambulawaye (Windhoek girl ) as best goalkeepers, Daniel Tuyambeka (Rehoboth boy) and Viola Mangura (Windhoek girl) as best defenders, and most valuable player (MVP) awards to Prince-Lee Kasanga (Windhoek boy) and Tjimaarija Kahitu (Gobabis girl). Handura also thanked Standard Bank Namibia for five years of sponsorship, which has helped players save MVP prize money in DigiYouth accounts, as well as all partners, coaches, and parents for their support.
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