Inline hockey ups preparations for 2006 World Cup in Hungary

THE Namibia Ice and Inline Hockey Association has started preparing for the 2006 International Inline Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships.

The championships will take place in Budapest, Hungary from July 9 to 16 July next year. The 2005 Namibia senior inline hockey team qualified to participate in the 2006 World Championships by ending 14th in this year’s World Championships, which was held in Kuopio, Finland, in July.The team also received the tournament’s prestigious Fair Play Cup for having the lowest number of penalties awarded against them.The target for 2006 is to aim for a bronze medal in the B Division of the Championships.To achieve this goal, coaches Philippe Boudreault and Roman Marx have adopted stringent selection criteria.Teams from Slovenia, Germany, South Africa and Argentina have been invited to Namibia as part of preparatory warm-up games for the National Team’s participation in Budapest.Inline hockey trials will be held to select a national squad.It is in Namibia’s best interest to see as many contenders at the trials as possible in order to select a team that will improve Namibia’s 2005 world ranking.While talent is the prime ingredient, other qualities will be equally important during the selection process.The selectors are looking for team players who are prepared to make sacrifices for the good of the team.Other important qualities are discipline, a positive attitude, respect, team work, hard work and ambition.A stringent fitness programme will be followed, with regular strength, agility and speed tests conducted by biokineticists and compulsory training camps.The squad and coaching staff will meet every four to six weeks and players will possibly have to forfeit holidays and long weekends to attend practice sessions.Players will have to undergo drug testing before being allowed to represent Namibia and no exceptions will be made in this regard.All Namibian-born players who are prepared to take up the challenge are invited to contact Ulrike Rodenwoldt at 081 240 1111, e-mail rodvet@iway.na.Faxes can also be sent to (064) 40 3807 by October 16 at the latest to make arrangements to attend the following trials: October 22 to 23 at the Cazadores Rink in Windhoek December 9 to 11 at the SFC Sports Hall in Swakopmund.The 2005 Namibia senior inline hockey team qualified to participate in the 2006 World Championships by ending 14th in this year’s World Championships, which was held in Kuopio, Finland, in July. The team also received the tournament’s prestigious Fair Play Cup for having the lowest number of penalties awarded against them.The target for 2006 is to aim for a bronze medal in the B Division of the Championships. To achieve this goal, coaches Philippe Boudreault and Roman Marx have adopted stringent selection criteria. Teams from Slovenia, Germany, South Africa and Argentina have been invited to Namibia as part of preparatory warm-up games for the National Team’s participation in Budapest.Inline hockey trials will be held to select a national squad. It is in Namibia’s best interest to see as many contenders at the trials as possible in order to select a team that will improve Namibia’s 2005 world ranking. While talent is the prime ingredient, other qualities will be equally important during the selection process.The selectors are looking for team players who are prepared to make sacrifices for the good of the team.Other important qualities are discipline, a positive attitude, respect, team work, hard work and ambition.A stringent fitness programme will be followed, with regular strength, agility and speed tests conducted by biokineticists and compulsory training camps.The squad and coaching staff will meet every four to six weeks and players will possibly have to forfeit holidays and long weekends to attend practice sessions.Players will have to undergo drug testing before being allowed to represent Namibia and no exceptions will be made in this regard.All Namibian-born players who are prepared to take up the challenge are invited to contact Ulrike Rodenwoldt at 081 240 1111, e-mail rodvet@iway.na.Faxes can also be sent to (064) 40 3807 by October 16 at the latest to make arrangements to attend the following trials: October 22 to 23 at the Cazadores Rink in Windhoek December 9 to 11 at the SFC Sports Hall in Swakopmund.