USA tournament went well for Namibia

Taylor, Michigan, USA was the host city for the largest annual inline hockey championships in the world – State Wars. The two-week competition was recently attended by approximately 300 teams from around the world.Namibia sent over 30 kids to the event, making up seven Federation teams in the following divisions according to birth year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and Girls Minor (14 and under). Namibia also enrolled two players in an 8-and-under team called Team Jedi (made up of players from the USA, the UK and Namibia).When the dust settled Namibia had won one gold medal (Girls Minor), one silver (2012) and three bronze (2009, 2008 and 8U). And had lost in the bronze medal game in the 2011 division in overtime.“We got six of our teams to a medal game, it’s very exciting and fulfilling for the kids and shows them that hard work and believing in yourself and your country makes a difference and can pay off.” Head coach of the National and Federation teams, Brian Sobel said. “Our goal, with everything we do, is to show the kids that they belong on the big stage with everyone else and that putting away egos and selfish goals and sticking with and believing in Namibia and its hockey program will pay off in big ways.“We hope to be competitive with each tournament we go to and the results this time around tell us that not only are we on the right path, but that we are in some places leading the world with our sport and development.”The young Namibians received several awards from State Wars in the following divisions (according to birth year): 2007 All-Stars: Leighzene Coetzee and Ania Borstlap. 2008 All-Stars: Leighzene Coetzee, Ania Borstlap, George Tjihaapi and Hadrian du Toit. 2008 World Team Leighzene Coetzee. 2009 All Stars: Vincent Scholz, Lucca De Azevedo, Hoandi Hoffman, Vigo Bajorat and Sascha Guttzeit. 2009 Accuracy winner: Tayla de Jager. 2009 Top defensive player: Vincent Scholz. 2010 All-Stars: Vigo Bajorat and Sascha Guttzeit, 2010 World Team: Vigo Bajorat.2011 All-Stars: Oyo Hinda and Taneka Shilongo. 2012 All-Stars: Maritz Laubscher.Girls Minor All-Stars: Ania Borstlap, Leighzene Coetzee, Tayla de Jager, Lana Bajorat and Lea Reiff. Girls Minor World Team: Leighzene Coetzee, Ania Borstlap, Lana Bajorat and Lea Reiff. Girls Minor top scorer: Ania Borstlap. Championship Game MVP: Ania Borstlap. 8U All-Stars: Henda Matyayi.“Though we were quite successful in terms of games and results, the bigger picture is the smiles on the faces of the kids and the friends they make from other countries. These connections will help forge their understanding of the world and help build a brighter future,” said coach Sobel.UNDEFEATEDThe Girls Minor team was a big joy to watch. The girls from Namibia went undefeated and cruised through their games with ease. The team was comprised of three national players (Coetzee, Borstlap and Bajorat) and girls as young as nine years old. It was a great opportunity for the young girls to play alongside some of the older girls and get some experience and see how the older girls play and handle themselves in all sorts of game situations.For many of the kids this was their first “big” tournament and their first time to America. While it could be a bit overwhelming, the players handled everything in stride and represented Namibia fantastically. Oyo Hinda said: “I had a great time. So much fun. I learned a lot and made so many friends. I want to come back again and show everyone how hard we work in Namibia and win more medals.”FOOTPRINT OVERSEASIn other NIIHA news, this past year saw Namibia put its mark on the world in the pro leagues of Europe, where Max Finkeldey (French League) won the championship with his team. Amandus Rottcher and Christian Coetzee signed contracts with the Italian League, while Sean Liechti is playing in Switzerland and Altus Coetzee is about to sign a pro deal in Europe. Christine Rottcher has moved to Canada in pursuits of ice hockey. A Namibian inline team calling themselves the Sidewinders played in the Pro and 20U Divisions at Sparta Cup and won the 20U Division championship game 9-0 and came in third in the Pro Division. The players named above and the Sidewinders are all products of the national program and the work it has been doing the last decade in terms of development and growth. These players understand the role they play in shaping the view of Namibian hockey around the world and take very seriously their commitment to the country and staying true to keeping Namibia front and centre while they continue to have success.

USA tournament went well for Namibia

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Republikein 2025-12-16

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USA tournament went well for Namibia

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