St Paul's College makes historic run at Belgotex tournament

St Paul's College from Windhoek made history last weekend by becoming the first international side in the tournament's history to reach the girls' cup final of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament held in Cape Town, South Africa.Entering the competition as underdogs, but finishing second overall in a field of 48 teams from South Africa and Zimbabwe was an extraordinary achievement.St Paul's quickly made their presence known with decisive victories over La Rochelle Girls' High School (4-0) and Langenhoven Gimnasium (5-0) on the opening day. These wins secured their place in the Cup section, where they faced Stellenberg High (1-0), Peterhouse (2-1), and Hoërskool Eldoraigne. Demonstrating exceptional skill and determination, the Namibian team triumphed over all three opponents, including a commanding 7-1 victory against Eldoraigne.In a tightly contested semi-final against Rustenburg Girls' High, a solitary goal was enough to propel St Paul's into the final. This achievement marked a significant milestone, as no international team had previously reached this stage of the tournament.The championship match saw St Paul's College face off against Fairmont High School, a formidable opponent from Cape Town's northern suburbs. Despite a valiant effort, the Namibian team under captaincy of Alice Rowles fell just short in the final (2-1) to Fairmont. Still, their remarkable journey to the championship match has set a new benchmark for international teams participating in the tournament.Tamara Grögli finished the tournament with eleven goals, just one behind the overall top-scorer in the girls’ section. The midfielder Abigail Rowles was also outstanding, while goalkeeper Velma Marwa made some telling saves in the semi-final, and defenders Sienna Richards and Tuli Nott held things together from the back.The team was proudly kitted out by Food Lover’s Market Namibia, whose support helped ensure the players represented their school and country in style.Coaches Nevil Gora, Fortune Matawu and Jo-Andri van Heerden expressed immense pride in their team's accomplishments. They highlighted the players' resilience and teamwork as key factors in their historic run. This performance not only elevates the profile of St Paul's College, but also serves as an inspiration for Namibian schools hockey on the international stage.Gora said: “The team effort of the junior and senior members was great to see, after we had to go on tour without three senior players who if they had been there, could have made the cup final even more interesting.”Girls section (48 teams): 1 Fairmont, 2 St Paul’s College (Namibia), 3 E.G. Jansen; 28th Pro-Ed Academy (Swakopmund); 32nd Windhoek Gymnasium.Boys section (48 teams): 1 Fairmont, 2 Stellenberg, 3 Monument; 15th Pro-Ed Academy (Swakopmund); 30th Windhoek Gymnasium; 37th Windhoek High School.

St Paul's College makes historic run at Belgotex tournament

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St Paul's College makes historic run at Belgotex tournament

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