Namibia’s women’s hockey team have been drawn in a tough pool for the inaugural Hockey Fives World Cup which takes place in Muscat, Oman from 24 to 31 January next year.
Namibia will compete in Group C along with the United States and Poland.
The draw for the inaugural Hockey 5s World Cup was made in Salalah, Oman earlier this week.
Namibia are the lowest ranked side in the group with an outdoor hockey world ranking of 50th, compared to the United States, which is ranked 16th and Poland, which is ranked 27th in the world.
Group A consists of the world’s top-ranked nation, the Netherlands; Malaysia, which is ranked 19th in the world; Fiji (43rd); and the host nation Oman, which does not have a world ranking.
Group B consists of the second-ranked nation in the world, Australia; South Africa (21st); Ukraine (28th) and Zambia (74th), while Group D consists of New Zealand, ranked ninth in the world, Uruguay (25th) and Thailand (30th).
Namibia qualified for the Hockey 5s World Cup after winning the inaugural Africa Hockey 5s Championships in Ismailia, Egypt in December last year, when they beat Zambia 2-1 in the final.
Namibia will not compete in the men’s competition after they failed to send a men’s team to the African Championships in Ismailia.
The competing team’s in the men’s tournament are as follows:
Pool A: The Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland and Nigeria.
Pool B: India, Egypt, Switzerland and Jamaica.
Pool C: Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago and Kenya.
Pool D: Oman, Malaysia, United States and Fiji.
