The senior netball team alias “Desert Jewels’ plans on continuing with their recent exceptional performance during the Africa Netball Cup in Gaborone by playing more tests matches in 2024.
Speaking to Desert Radio Netball Namibia (NN) acting secretary general Isack Hamata revealed that the leadership has engaged countries from the Caribbean, Botswana and others to offer Namibia opportunities to play more test matches next year.
“For our ranking to improve we need to play test matches and the moment you do not play test matches your rankings are either stagnant and when the qualifiers come you are either low and your chances to qualify is close to zero.”
Hamata said the recent accomplishment by the senior netball team ended as this year’s Africa netball cup runners up in Gaborone, Botswana set a tone and is a significant achievement that set a tone for 2024.
“That exceptional performance by the Desert Jewels stood out for 2023 and players and coaches deserve that recognition. It did not come easy or on a silver platter it took a lot of hard work behind the scenes.”
The acting secretary general said planning for the Africa Netball Cup started when the team failed to qualify for the world cup held in South Africa.
“The board of Netball Namibia at the time decided to look at the next opportunity to grab with both hands which was the Africa Netball Cup in Gaborone.”
Initially the Africa netball cup was to take place in Uganda but was only informed a week before the scheduled cup as NN leadership were in the dark on whether the tournament will take place.
“At the time, behind the scenes it was back and forth and it killed the mood of the people as we were preparing for the Africa cup and with that how do you really prepare properly.”
“Even on the way to Botswana we were not sure whether the tournament was ranked or not but lucky ahead of time we were informed that it is a ranked tournament.”
Hamata warned that it is futile to go to a tournament that is not ranked, adding that competing in a ranked tournament is very important for netball.
“One of the most massive success stories for netball in the country is that we have won a number of individual competitions but this one netball has really achieved.”
He said: “What the achievement in Gaborone really tells you is when the next competition come you must do better than the silver medal won in Botswana.”
As for the 2024 netball calendar, Hamata said that they will intensify their training again in preparation for the Commonwealth Games and world cup qualifiers for the team to be very ready despite no clear communication if given.
Seasoned sport journalist, Hesron Kapang attributed netball’s success to the country’s largest mobile operator MTC who injected funds into the premier netball league.
He said netball has the potential to grow as a sport provided funding is readily available and played at regional level to give the young talented girl the platform to showcase her talent and get scouted.
Hamata said the board of netball decided to go back to head coach Julene Meyers who was asked to pick her own assistant coach.
“She picked Dorette Badenhorst who has over 17 years experience of coaching the South African Proteas. All of that experience we benefited from and that we are able to achieve the highs that we had in Botswana.”
He said that if NN retained her there would be a number of more successes going forward as Namibia A-listed players did not form part of the tour to Botswana because of work commitments.
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