adminBukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE national senior men’s hockey team coach Colin Williams has bemoaned the lack of international exposure saying it had stunted growth of the game in the country.
Williams said although they played against big teams now and then, local hockey had not reached international standards and more tours were needed for players to be exposed to the professional game.
“We are not rated as a hockey country and that perception must change. We must therefore organise many international games to gain exposure for people to know and aspire to play the game,” said Williams.
“In all the games we play at the Khumalo Hockey Stadium (in Bulawayo), people come to watch in large numbers and imagine a scenario where we had more games often. We are lagging behind in terms of standard and quality and sooner or later we will be behind Zambia, who are coming up very well,” he said.
Williams said they were in the process of drawing up an invitational tourney and are planning to invite power houses South Africa and Namibia around June.
The Zimbabwe men’s side took part in the 2015 Hockey Africa Cup of Nations and finished a lowly sixth in a pool of nine teams, while the women’s team were fifth out of seven teams.
Sidumisile Mabena
Online Reporter