If Namibia was not in Africa

“…South Africa could always be at World Cup”-Botha

• By Michael Uugwanga

SOUTH Africa’s senior women indoor hockey coach Lennie Botha said South Africa had been unlucky not to regularly qualify to International Hockey Federation (FIH) Indoor Hockey World Cups due to the presence of Namibia, who are currently the best indoor hockey playing nation on the continent.

South Africa’s women indoor team last featured at the Indoor Hockey World Cup in 2015, in Germany.

Botha said this in an interview with Confidente following his team’s 5-2 aggregate lose to Namibia in an international test series that was held at the Windhoek Showgrounds from October 28 to 30.

Namibia have been at the Indoor Hockey World Cup in 2018 in Germany, after edging South Africa in the qualifiers, then was again scheduled to feature at last year’s showpiece that was postponed to next year in South Africa, after the 2021 edition scheduled for Belgium was cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the Africa qualifiers, there is only one slot allocated for the World Cup.

“We have been at few world cups before.

The answer will be yes on whether we would be at World Cup on a regular basis, but only if Namibia was not in Africa, and no doubt about that.  The test series was a true reflection of the results, because we wasted our chances and Namibia made use of theirs.  It was a good experience to play against a top indoor hockey playing country that is ranked ninth in the world, against our 17th rank on the world stage,” Botha said.

FOR MORE: GRAB A COPY OF THE NEWSPAPER