Sanlam backs hockey development

THE Hockey School of Excellence (HSE) will host a hockey tournament at the Rundu Sports Stadium in the Kavango Region on July 12.

The event will also see coaching courses being offered prior from July 8. It is expected to attract more than 20 schools since its inception in 2004.To make this event a reality, Sanlam Namibia, which has been a partner in the development of hockey at grass roots level, yesterday availed N$12 000 for both the coaching courses and the tournament at the northern town.Hockey coach and HSE director, Erwin Handura, said regional under-12 and under-14 hockey teams will be selected to compete at the national development hockey tournament in Windhoek on September 27.In 2000, players from the Kavango region were selected to the first ever under 14 development team that toured South Africa, prior to the involvement of Sanlam.Handura says the Kavango region won several awards at the national development tournament in the 90’s.”With Sanlam, the standard of the game in the region can only get better,š he said.Irvin Moller, Sanlam Namibia’s company secretary said one key focus area of the the group’s corporate social responsibility programme is the area of sports development.Apart from hockey, the insurance company also caters for primary schools rugby, chess, junior tennis and rural football.So far, Sanlam Namibia spends at least N$150 000 per year on sports programmes in the country, according to Angrid Shimuafeni, whose the marketing and communications consultant for the group.Moller said Sanlam Namibia is committed to allocating available resources to sports initiatives that will hopefully positively influence the lives and aspirations of all Namibians.Sports Commissioner responsible for hockey, Ben //Naobeb urged the corporate world to come on board in order to fast-track the hockey development programme to other regions.He congratulated Sanlam Namibia for choosing hockey, adding that most senior hockey players have exceeded the competitive edge needed, thus emphasising that development in all the regions is a priority now.Vice president of the Namibia Hockey Union (NHU), Randy Slabbert, said the union has a target to have hockey in all the regions in future.It is expected to attract more than 20 schools since its inception in 2004.To make this event a reality, Sanlam Namibia, which has been a partner in the development of hockey at grass roots level, yesterday availed N$12 000 for both the coaching courses and the tournament at the northern town.Hockey coach and HSE director, Erwin Handura, said regional under-12 and under-14 hockey teams will be selected to compete at the national development hockey tournament in Windhoek on September 27.In 2000, players from the Kavango region were selected to the first ever under 14 development team that toured South Africa, prior to the involvement of Sanlam.Handura says the Kavango region won several awards at the national development tournament in the 90’s.”With Sanlam, the standard of the game in the region can only get better,š he said.Irvin Moller, Sanlam Namibia’s company secretary said one key focus area of the the group’s corporate social responsibility programme is the area of sports development.Apart from hockey, the insurance company also caters for primary schools rugby, chess, junior tennis and rural football.So far, Sanlam Namibia spends at least N$150 000 per year on sports programmes in the country, according to Angrid Shimuafeni, whose the marketing and communications consultant for the group.Moller said Sanlam Namibia is committed to allocating available resources to sports initiatives that will hopefully positively influence the lives and aspirations of all Namibians.Sports Commissioner responsible for hockey, Ben //Naobeb urged the corporate world to come on board in order to fast-track the hockey development programme to other regions.He congratulated Sanlam Namibia for choosing hockey, adding that most senior hockey players have exceeded the competitive edge needed, thus emphasising that development in all the regions is a priority now.Vice president of the Namibia Hockey Union (NHU), Randy Slabbert, said the union has a target to have hockey in all the regions in future.