Former indoor hockey great, Magreth ‘Maggy’ Mengo, has praised the country’s senior women’s indoor hockey team that competed at the International Hockey Federation (IFH) Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia.
Although the women’s side finished in sixth place after losing to Belgium at the IFH Indoor Hockey World Cup, their performance did not go unnoticed by former captain Mengo, who had participated in previous World Cups before retiring from international hockey nearly two years ago.
Speaking to Confidente about her thoughts on the team’s performance at the World Cup, Mengo expressed her excitement, stating that finishing in the top six is a huge achievement for a small country like Namibia.
She also praised the men’s team, which finished in eighth place after losing to Iran.
Mengo said she was “glued in front of the television” whenever the Namibian teams were in action.
“I couldn’t have been prouder with the results that they got. Top 6 at the World Cup is phenomenal for a country that gets so little international exposure in the lead-up to big events such as this. I know it is impossible to get top three, but hey, we grow from this. But well done to both men and women teams. The ladies fought to get the 3-2 win in the game against Australia, but Austria was more adamant. We were better than them, although it was a 50/50 game as I was watching.”
“I watched all our Namibian games and some of our opponents as well. Namibia has been at a competing stage for years now. Now it is more exposure needed to build on what we have and at the level we are at, trust me. With more exposure, it strengthens your mental aspect, you get more experience, and indoor is a mental game after all, and that we need to build more on still,” said Mengo.
It is no secret that the women’s team has consistently been a force to be reckoned with on the African continent, having dominated the region. However, on the global stage, Namibia seems to lack the final gear to replicate the same success.
Funding will always remain a stumbling block for the country if it is to match other indoor hockey powerhouses such as Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland.
“More international exposure against the right nations. Africa we have exhausted, unfortunately. We need European exposure, test series throughout, and not just one or three weeks before a big championship like the World Cup. We have the talent, we understand the game, [we need] more exposure,” said Mengo.