The School of Excellence Hockey Club & Academy

5TH Standard Bank Namibia Junior Hockey Festival 2025

Press Release: 4 November’25

The 5th edition of the Standard Bank Namibia (SBN) Junior Hockey National Festival was a resounding success.

This developmental tournament was held over on Saturday, 1 November on the Davin turf at Windhoek High School.

A total of fifteen (15) towns representing thirteen (13) regions of Namibia took part in the national tournament organized by the Hockey School of Excellence for a fifth consecutive year.

Three hundred u/13 junior hockey players representing seventy five (75) primary schools Country wide came prepared for one of the biggest sports developmental tournaments on Namibian soil.

The commitment of Standard Bank Namibia to develop hockey, in our beautiful country, over the past five years has been enormous and the level of the competition is testimony to this effect.

Each of the 15 teams came with a boys as well as a girls team, bringing the number teams that took part in the 5th edition to thirty (30) teams each with ten (10) players.

A total number of fifty eight (58) matches were played on Saturday with high skill level of all the teams showcasing the hard word put in by coaches and players from all the 13 participating regions.

In the boys section the defending champions, Gobabis representing the cattle country showed their resilience and defended their title successfully when they beat Rehoboth in a thrilling final. The two teams played to a goalless draw in regulation time and the match has to be decided by penalty shootouts (show downs).

The “beef” boys came on top and beat Rehoboth, Hardap to claim the national title for a record fourth consecutive year.

The girls final between the home team Windhoek representing Khomas region and Gobabis representing the cattle country was another thrilling encounter with players showcasing their talent and skills.

The winner, just like in the boys final has to be decided by penalty shootouts (show downs) after both teams couldn’t score a winning goal in regulation time. Windhoek denied Gobabis to win the double and won the national title when they thrashed Gobabis 2-0 in the shootouts.

Results from the Quarter finals:

Boys

1. Okahandja vs Nkurenkuru 1-0
2. Gobabis v WHK 0-0 (3-2) S/O
3. Ongwediva v Mariental 0-0(2-1) Shootouts
4. Rehoboth v Outapi 0-0 (3-2)

Girls

1. Ongwediva vs Outjo 0-0 (4-3)
2. Mariental vs. WHK 0-0 (0-1)
3. Gobabis vs Nkurenkuru 1-0
4. Tsumeb v Keetmans 0-0 (1-2)

Semi Finals

Boys:

1. Okahandja vs. Gobabis 1-2
2. Ongwendiva vs. Rehoboth 0-0 (2-3) shootouts

Girls
1. Ongwediva vs. Windhoek 0-2
2. Gobabis v Keetmanshoop 1-0

Bronze Medals Match

Boys: Okahandja v Ongwediva 1-0
Girls: Ongwediva v Keetmans 1-0

Gold Medal Match

Boys:Gobabis vs. Reho 0-0 (2-0)
Girls: WHK vs. Gobabis 0-0 (2-0)

MVP’S

Best Goalkeeper:
Boy: Luciano Doiseb (Gobabis)
Girl: Marsha Ambulawaye (Whk)

Best Defender:
Boy:Daniel Tuyambeka (Rehoboth)
Girl: Viola Mangura (WHK)

Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Boy: Prince-Lee Kasanga (Whk)
Girl: Tjimaarija Kahitu (Gobabis)

Medal Winners

Gold Medal
Boys: Gobabis
Girls: Windhoek

Silver Medal
Boys: Rehoboth
Girls: Gobabis

Bronze Medal
Boys: Okahandja
Girls: Ongwendiva

Statistics

Participating Regions: 13
Number of Teams: 30
Number of Players: 300
Number of Coaches: 60
Number of Umpires: 35
Technical Officials: 25

Prepared By:

Erwin Handura
Project Coordinator

Standard Bank
Junior Hockey Initiative 2025

Media Release: 25 October 2025

Standard Bank Namibia Junior Hockey Initiative 2025

The 5th edition of the Standard Bank Namibia Junior Hockey Initiative National Development Tournament is scheduled for Next week Saturday, 1 November at the Windhoek High School artificial turf.

The 1st edition was held in 2021 with five towns representing four regions. These towns were Windhoek, Rehoboth, Mariental, Okahandja and Gobabis.

The 2nd edition was held in 2022 and the regions grew from four to eleven. These regions were represented by the following towns: Windhoek, Rehoboth, Mariental, Okahandja, Gobabis, Tsumeb, Rundu, Outapi, Ongwediva , Outjo and Omaruru.

2023 saw the 3rd edition adding four more towns, Katima Mulilo, Nkurenkuru, Helao Nafidi and Walvisbay. For the first time over twenty years Namibia saw a youth development program in hockey that represented all the 14 regions of our country.

The 2024 edition was another milestone and saw 13 of the 14 regions, taking part in the 4th edition, Rundu didn’t attend.

Some regions already selected their teams that will take part in one of the biggest grassroots development programmes on Namibian soil.

Standard Bank Namibia committed themselves to develop the future of our nation (youth) through this developmental initiative, which is run and administered by the Hockey of Excellence.

A total number of three hundred and twenty (320) u/13 players, 64 coaches and 60 officials will compete at the 5th edition of the Standard Bank Junior Hockey Initiative, scheduled for 1 November 2025 at WHS.

The level of the game and skills illustrated by these junior players after five years has improved drastically.

In the meantime, the national u/13 development team returned yesterday (24 Nov 2025) from Cape Town after a weeklong training and exposure to high class hockey is South Africa.

We look forward to hosting all the regions on 1 Nov 2025 and keep improving the Standard Bank Junior Hockey tournament.

Thank you

Erwin Handura
Project Manager: Standard Bank
Junior Hockey Initiative

A Star in the making

SBN Junior Hockey
Outjo Coaching Clinics 11 Oct ‘25

Press Release: 13 October 2025

Sixty (60) u13 junior hockey players and and six (6) coaches from Outjo Primary, Maarssen Primary and Jack Francis primary schools attended coaching clinics on Saturday at the Outjo Sports Complex.

This facility is one of the best in Namibia as it can accommodate multi sports disciplines such as hockey, rugby, netball, football, tennis, volleyball, basketball, handball, etc.

On Friday 10 October, the three schools played league games in the Standard Bank and NSSU Junior Leagues for 2025. The Friday results were as follows:

Girls u13’s
Jack Francis vs. Maarssen PS 2-1
Jack Francis vs.Outjo PS 3-0

Boys u13’s
Maarssen PS vs. Outjo PS 0-0
Jack Francis vs. Outjo PS 4-1

League games will continue this week in preparation of the Standard Bank National Festival scheduled for 1 Nov 2025 in WHK.

Report by: Marion Handura: Project Administrator
Standard Bank Junior Hockey

The School of Excellence Hockey Club (SoEHC)

Press Release: 25 Sept 2025

The School of Excellence Hockey Club men’s first team won the National Outdoor title after they thrashed former title holder Windhoek Old-boys Sport Club 3-1 in a premier league clashed played last night at Windhoek High School.

The SoEHC only became a member of the NHU in 2019 and in 2020 entered the national league with junior teams. By 2022 SoEHC had over fifty members playing with four teams in the national indoor and outdoor leagues.

It took the club three years to build a formidable men’s team that was unbeatable in the national outdoor league in 2025.

In the match last night former u21 and senior player, Giovanè “90” Handura opened the scoring for SoEHC in the 29th minute from a penalty corner when he slaughter the ball in the bottom left corner of National goalkeeper DJ Strauss.

Three minutes later SoEHC lost the ball in the middle of the field and former national player and current high ranked umpire, Siyabonga Martins scored a straight hit from the top of the D to level the score 1 goal a piece just after the break.

SoEHC came out very strong and sharp after the break and the ever threatening and fast dribbling Delron Handura scored from a penalty corner in the 36th minute for SoEHC to take the lead for a second time in the match.

In the 43rd minute the ever green, Isascar Kavee Tjikuniva, hit the nail in the coffin of WOBSC when he deflected the ball into WOBSC’s goal after a defense splitting pass from Delron Handura to extend the SoEHC’s lead to 3-1.

No team could score a goal in the remaining 17 minutes and match ended 3-1 in favor of the School of Excellence Hockey Club.

The remaining league matches in the national outdoor league will be complete this weekend.

By Erwin Handura
Head Coach: SoEHC
0816639992

The School of Excellence Hockey Club (SoEHC), played four games last weekend against Saints.

Saturday 17 May 2025

Ladies 2nd:SoEHC v Saints II 3-1
Men’s 2nd: SoEHC v Saints II 0-2
Men’s Premier: SoEHC v. Saints 4-3

Sunday 18 May 2025

Ladies 2nd:SoEHC v Saints III 0-0

The good results can be attributed to regular training sessions we had over the past three weeks. The will only get better and better as we prepare our players for the future.

The School of Excellence Hockey Club was founded in 2019 and currently has three teams taking part in the National Outdoor League. The club have about sixty members and its having a development program in Windhoek and Rehoboth respectively.

Rehoboth SOE Hockey Academy

The School of Excellence successfully launched the Rehoboth Hockey Academy on 4 April 2025. Learners from Ruimte, JTL Beukes, Rehoboth Primary and St.Joseph’s primary schools joined the Reho SOE Hockey Academy.

The second training session of the Reho SoE Hockey Academy took place yesterday at the St. Joseph’s The School of Excellence Hockey Club & Academy.

The School of Excellence is having a club with three teams playing in the National Outdoor League run and administered by the Namibia Hockey Union. This picture was taken on Sunday after the club had a training session at Windhoek Gymnasium.

Standard Bank
Junior Hockey Initiative 2024

National Festival: 2 Nov 2024

Press Release: 4 November

The 2024 National Development Tournament took place on Saturday 2 November on the turf of Windhoek High School.

A total number of 300 junior hockey players (u12’s), representing 13 regions took part in the fourth annual Standard Bank Namibia Junior Hockey National Festival.

Thirty teams, two per region, competed for national honors. A total number of fifty eight (58) matches were played between the fifteen girls and fifteen boys teams on Saturday.

This was the fourth year running for the School of Excellence to organize this developmental tournament played by close to one thousand five hundred u13 kids in all fourteen regions.

The level of the competition has become very high as most players are well developed. Majority of the players that played in the junior hockey series held from August 8-11 in Harare, Zimbabwe played exceptionally well.

The future of hockey in the previous disadvantaged schools looks promising with so many skill-full youngsters playing hockey. The fact that the School of Excellence and its sponsor Standard Bank Namibia are hosting regional leagues, regional tournaments, the national tournament and now also selecting a development team to compete against other countries, attracts more schools and players to take up hockey as a sport.

Coming back to the national festival held on Saturday, the level of the competition has increased drastically. The players are more skilled, play with more dedication and are hungry to perform.

In the girls section the two teams that dominated the competition since its inception in 2021, Omaheke and Khomas were eliminated in the semifinals by Oshikoto (Tsumeb) and Oshana (Ongwediva) respectively. Tsumeb ended up winning the trophy and gold medals when they defeated Ongwediva by a solitary goal by in the final. The final medal winners in the girls section were as follows:

1. Tsumeb (Oshikoto)
2. Ongwediva (Oshana)
3. Gobabis (Omaheke)

In the boys section Omaheke represented by Gobabis won the trophy and gold medals for a third consecutive year.

On Saturday, Gobabis was pushed all the way to the penalty shootouts by a gutsy and determined Rehoboth team from the Hardap region. The two teams played to a one all stalemate in regulation time and the winner has to be decided via a penalty shootout.

Both teams converted their penalties during the first and second rounds of the shootouts, but after the Gobabis goalkeeper, Tomy Doiseb, made a good save it was up to Vasana Imene of Gobabis to secure their title. Vasana didn’t disappoint and he slotted the ball pass the right foot of Rehoboth goalkeeper to defend their title successfully.

The final medal winners in the boys section were as follows:

1. Gobabis (Omaheke)
2. Rehoboth (Hardap)
3. Windhoek (Khomas)

Individual Prize Winners

Girls:

Best Goalkeeper:
Willy-Ann Kooper (Rehoboth)

Best Defender:

Most Valuable Player:
Tjimarija Kahitu (Gobabis)

Boys

Best Goalkeeper:
Tomy Doiseb (Gobabis)

Best Defender:
Rowan Ngeama (Gobabis)

Most Valuable Player:
Press-Lee Kasanga (Windhoek)

An u13 National Development Team that will play against Zimbabwe next year in Windhoek, and also travel to Cape Town to play against South Africa was selected on Saturday.

The event was blessed with the presence of the Chief Administration of the Namibia Sports Commission, Mr. Freddy Mwiya who stresses that hockey needs to be included in the 2026 Namibia Youth Games because of its sound development program.

Standard Bank Namibias Marketing Manager Mr. Sindano was one of the VIP’s and delivered a speech on behalf of the sponsor.

He was very happy with impact this Developmental Initiative has made since the inception of the project in 2021. The number of coaches, umpires and the close to 1500 learners in this project is a testimony of the banks commitment to uplift communities with nation building activities.

We look forward to 2025 as this will pave a way for our first bunch of junior hockey players graduating from primary school at the end of 2025.

Plans are already in place to ensure the top players out of the 1500 u/13 players will move to the talent ID Team and will be further nurtured / groomed to ensure they’re mature for future national teams.

The School of Excellence would like to thank Standard Bank for their investment the past four years. It has been an awesome journey of making an impact the lives of the Namibian Child.

Coaches / teachers have played a major role in the respective regions to ensure that the game of hockey flourished with this development initiative.

We thank the NSSU and the line Ministry for their continuous support and guidance. The Ministry of Education, through the office of the ED, has become another important partner of this initiative and their support and guidance in particular this year has been awesome.

Last but not least the media and the parents are key stakeholders that needs to be applauded for their involvement in the growing oh the sport and learners at large.

Compiled by: Erwin Handura
Project Manager