The Malawi men’s and women’s hockey national teams have been ranked for the first time by the International Hockey Federation in their latest outdoor rankings.
The men’s national team is ranked 95th in the world and 10th in Africa, with a total of 253.92 points. The women’s national team is ranked 78th in the world and 10th in Africa, with a total of 331.02 points.
The team’s rankings follow the country’s hosting of the Africa Cup Club Championship in November 2023 and the participation in East and Central qualifying games in September 2022 in Zimbabwe which the government funded through the Malawi National Council of Sports.
According to Godfrey Biya, the General Secretary of the Hockey Association of Malawi, the country can improve its world ranking by participating in more international competitions.
“As an association, we are happy that Malawi hockey has been ranked for the first time. This shows that despite facing many challenges, there has been progress. We have been dreaming of this day, and overall, we are happy that Malawi hockey is now on the world map. We hope for more international competitions, especially with under 21 teams, to improve our ranking,” explained Biya.
According to the rankings, the Netherlands is the number one team in the world in the men’s category with 3161.38 points, followed by Belgium with 2948.16 points, and Australia in third position with 2906.22 points. In the women’s category, the Netherlands holds the top spot with 3583.05 points, Argentina is in second position with 2927.38 points, and Germany is in third position with 2831.99 points.
In Africa, South Africa is ranked first in the men’s category and 14th in the world with 1912.96 points. Egypt is in second position and 17th in the world with 1712.31 points, while Ghana is in third position and 34th in the world with 1139.03 points. In the women’s category, South Africa is ranked first and 18th in the world with 1499.65 points, Ghana is in second position and 31st in the world with 994.59 points, while Kenya is in third position and 33rd in the world with 977.46 points.