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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER making her debut appearance at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in 2016, Simone Herbst is looking forward to making her second appearance at the event which gets underway on Friday in South Africa and is hoping for an improved performance from Zimbabwe.
Herbst was part of the junior women’s team that competed in Santiago, Chile, in 2016 as a teenager.
And as the junior women’s team readies for the ninth edition of the competition, due to take place from April 1 to 12 in Potchefstroom, South Africa, Herbst said there is need to be realistic on expectations but she is hopeful Zimbabwe can do better this time around.
In 2016, Zimbabwe were bottom-ranked in the 16-team tournament.
“We have to be realistic. I don’t think any of us are going there for a podium finish, we have to be realistic. Zimbabwe is the last placed ranked country at this tournament, so we are hoping to do at least a third or a second in our pool and then from there we will see what happens.
“I was at the last Junior World Cup, we didn’t do well there, I am going to be honest. So, this time I think we have got a much better team, we have got a good side and I think we could do better than we did last time,” said Herbst.
Zimbabwe will take on Canada, Netherlands and United States in Pool A.
Their opening game is against Canada on Friday.
The team left on Sunday and they are expected to take on Wales in a warm-up match tomorrow.
“The preparation for this upcoming tournament in South Africa for the Junior World Cup has been amazing. It’s been nearly two to three years, I mean we were meant to go back in November but sadly Covid affected us.
“But now we finally get another chance to do it and it’s been an amazing experience training with all different ages from the youngsters to other girls the same age as me and it’s been amazing.
“We feel ready, and we hope we are ready, and we going to give it our best and hopefully do the country proud,” said Herbst.
She was also at the Africa Cup on Nations (ACN) with the senior side in January.
The tournament was moved from last December to April this year.
Her teammate, Tinodiwanashe Elijah, who was also at the Africa Cup of Nations, is hoping to build on that experience and is going into this tournament with an open mind.
“Right now I am just so overwhelmed with joy and so excited that we are finally getting to be able to play and to experience the atmosphere of a World Cup event.
“I don’t think I am going with any expectations but I am just going there to have a blast to play as best as I can and just to play the game to the best of my abilities,” said Elijah.
Online Reporter