Namibia's national inline hockey team received a heroes' welcome at Hosea Kutako International Airport on Friday after securing a historic bronze medal at the World Skate Games in China.
The team defeated France 3-2 in the third-place playoff to claim bronze in their debut at the global competition. Along the way, they beat Chinese Taipei, the Czech Republic and China, showing remarkable form throughout the tournament.
Team captain Christiaan Coetzee speaking on arrival said the victory was the result of months of dedication and faith.
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"This is a big achievement for us, but I want to thank the Lord for giving us the strength and guidance," Coetzee said. "We worked really hard for this since last year. The bronze medal match was nerve-wracking, but when the final buzzer went, we all went absolutely crazy. I'm so proud of this team, our coaches and our managers," he added.
National coach Nadia Schmidt, the first woman to lead Namibia's men's inline hockey side, has praised her players' resilience.
"This has been a tremendous journey not just for Namibian hockey, but for Namibian sport," Schmidt says. "We knew it would be tough, but the guys were hungry, motivated and played with a real family spirit. Beating France again to secure bronze meant everything to us. We couldn't be more proud."
President of the Namibia Ice and Inline Hockey Association, Heiko Lucks, describes the team as trailblazers.
"This is the best result we have ever achieved in inline hockey," Lucks says. "The team has been great ambassadors for Namibia and put us on the map. With the federation turning 30 next year, this result is phenomenal. What excites us even more is that this is the youngest national team at the World Games, with an average age of just 20.9 years, so they can only grow stronger from here."
