The one-day hockey festival will be held at the Doc Jubber Hockey Fields and will involve players from six regions, including Khomas.

Khomas will be represented by two teams, while each other region will have one team in action.

The competing regions are Kavango, Oshana, Erongo, Omaheke, Karas and hosts Khomas.

NHU president Jesse Schickerling said the continuation of the development project serves as a barometer for up-and-coming players.

He said the NHU wishes to ensure that players are exposed to international competitions of any nature to stay involved in the game.

"It is against this background that we keep statistics of our young players and monitor their progress," he said.

He said no fewer than 42 players in the boys' division have been exposed to some level of international competition and 88 per cent of the players are still actively involved in hockey.

"Only four percent are now playing another sport," he said.

MTC spokesman Albertus Aochamub said the mobile operator has noted the progress made and the numerous accolades that hockey has earned, especially with regard to the development side of the sport.

DEMAND FOR RETURNS Aochamub said MTC and the nation could not afford to celebrate mediocrity any longer.

He said MTC invests more than N$10 million a year in major Namibian sport codes and believes that those funds are invested in sport development.

"We cannot be content with sending sports people to major international events to simply gain experience after 18 years of independence.

Whilst experience is critical, it is equally time that we as investors and as a nation start demanding returns on our investment," he said.

Aochamub was also concerned about negative reporting and poor performance of many national sporting codes.

"There is not a day that passes without us being fed so much negativity that we run the risk of being renamed from being the Land of the Brave to the Land of the Mourners.

If we are not complaining about the poor showing of our sportsmen and women, it is about the sorry state of the administration of many codes or infighting for positions.

I am sure we are all agreed that this state of affairs is no manner in which to build a winning nation," he said.

He added that Namibia needs medals and trophies as part of its national sport heritage.

TRI-NATIONS The NHU will send more than 100 hockey players to the Tri-Nations Hockey Tournament to be held in Gaborone, Botswana from August 22 to 24.

The tournament will feature the hosts, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Namibia will be represented by the under-13, -16 and -18 boys' and girls' teams and women's and men's invitational sides will also be in action.

Zimbabwe are the new entrants to the tournament which was traditionally only between Namibia and Botswana.

The inaugural tournament started in 1997 in Botswana, and Namibia has been the dominant force since then.

The teams have been financially assisted with N$40 000 by the Ministry of Sport and each player will be expected to contribute N$2 200 for the trip.

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