U21 teams gain experience at Junior World Cups

Namibia endured a difficult Monday on the global stage as both its men’s and women’s U21 teams fell by identical 13-0 margins in their respective opening and final group matches at the FIH Junior Hockey World Cups held in India and Chile.Men's Junior World Cup – Madurai, IndiaIn hot 31-degree conditions, Namibia’s men concluded their Group D campaign with a 13-0 defeat to European champions Spain. Despite a spirited effort, the debutants were outmatched by a technically sharp and physically relentless Spanish side that dominated across all phases.Spain struck early, as Bruno Avila opened the scoring in the 5th minute and went on to net four goals. The Europeans built a 3-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, added two more in the second and carried a 5-0 advantage into halftime. As the match progressed, Spain increased their tempo, scoring three goals in the third quarter and four in the last.Their superiority was clear in the match statistics, as they registered seven field goals. Despite the pressure, Namibia held up well in short-corner defence, conceding only six goals from 17 penalty corner opportunities, an effort that prevented the score-line from growing even further.Spain’s Pere Amat was named player of the match, his second consecutive award.Acknowledging qualityNamibia assistant coach Randy Slabbert praised his players’ determination while acknowledging the quality of the opposition.“We always knew this would be the toughest game we’d face in the World Cup. Spain are not European champions for nothing. We tried to close them down in midfield and I thought in the beginning we actually coped relatively well.“We were down 5-0 at halftime, but still managing (our midfield plan). The 31 degrees didn’t help either team. We kept rotating players to keep them fresh, but Spain interchanged constantly; they were relentless. By the last chukka we really battled to contain them.“There’s never been a lack of commitment. Against Egypt we had several players unwell, yet they kept running (to win 4-2). Today was the same; these boys never back off. “From an effort perspective, I can’t fault them. It’s a privilege to play a team of that magnitude.”Despite being ranked outside the world’s top 30, Namibia finished third in Group D, ahead of Egypt, following their historic 4-2 win on Sunday. In the group’s other final match, Belgium defeated Egypt 10-0 to secure second place behind Spain.Team Namibia will remain in Madurai for the playoffs for positions 17 to 24, aiming to close out their first-ever Junior World Cup on a positive note.Women's Junior World Cup – Santiago, Chile At the FIH Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup, Namibia’s U21 women also faced a formidable opponent in India, who delivered a commanding 13-0 victory in Pool C.Played at the Estadio Nacional, India imposed their high-tempo “speed hockey” from the opening whistle. Kanika Siwach scored in the 6th minute, triggering a wave of rapid circle penetrations and fast combinations that overwhelmed Namibia’s defensive structure. India maintained almost complete control of possession and widened their lead through sharp passing and relentless pressure, leaving Namibia little room to regroup.Pool C’s other result saw Germany defeat Ireland 7-1.Ireland nextNamibia women’s head coach Sedtric Makati remained optimistic about his squad's growth despite the defeat. “The girls played for me, they played well considering the level we came up against. India have this phenomenal speed hockey, and we struggled with that early on, but we coped better in our last chukka. “My team is young, but that gives us an edge for the future. This is a big experience for them.”Namibia’s women continue their Pool C campaign, facing Ireland today at 14:00 as they look to build on the lessons from their opening fixture.“Technically we want to push like we did in the last chukka. If you press them in the right areas, openings can happen. It’s a 50-50 game against an opponent also struggling against the top teams, so we will give our best.”

U21 teams gain experience at Junior World Cups

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-11

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U21 teams gain experience at Junior World Cups

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-11

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