Zimbabwe under-21 ladies hockey team coach Brad Heuer is bracing up for a tough tournament in the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Chile.
The team arrived in Santiago on Monday morning and has been acclimatising ever since ahead of the start of the tournament on Wednesday next week.
The competition, which will be participated by a total 16 teams, will run until December 10.
Zimbabwe is in Pool B together with Argentina, Korea and Spain.
Pool A comprises Australia, Netherlands, South Africa and hosts Chile. Pool C has Belgium, Canada, Germany and India, while England, Japan, New Zealand and United States are in Pool D.
In preparation for the tournament, the team is expected to play a series of friendlies with Chilean clubs and other countries.
“The whole squad is almost here and the friendlies are still on. We are playing against a number of club sides here this week and early next week ... that’s our plan. We have also planned for a friendly against South Africa, but it hasn’t been confirmed.
“We have arrived quite earlier than other teams so that we get used to the environment here,” Heuer said.
- Zimbabwe exports ‘mental health benches’ to Fifa World Cup
- Growth of online gambling industry
- ‘U-21 hockey teams bracing for tough tourney’
Keep Reading
“The preparations have been going on really well and it has been tough since a lot of the girls have been overseas (where they are based). So we have been training with the locally-based and mostly those based in Harare, and those in Bulawayo would also come whenever they can.”
Heuer believes the experience of the players, who have played international tournaments before, will come in handy.
“It’s not our first time. This is the fourth time the team has competed at a World Cup. I also got few girls who played last time so they bring quite a nice dynamic that is expected of them in the team. I also expect them to help the girls who haven’t played at this stage,” said the coach, who revealed the team is targeting a top-10 finish.
“I know its going to be very difficult as our group has incredible teams. I think with the team that we have created, I believe that we would finish in top 10 or at least top 12.”
The World Cup event is held after every two years and it gives young players a platform to unleash their raw skills and potential at an international stage.
