OSHAKATI – It has been a target of the NVF to develop beach volleyball outside of the central regions since 2015, to link with the NVF strategy of de-centralizing volleyball and empowering the regions. The NVF’s focus of the Aqua Splash Beach Volleyball Development in the north of Namibia 2018 was to engage, promote and share knowledge about beach volleyball with the Kavango and Far North volleyball associations’ athletes and coaches.
Led by the James Verrinder (NVF Director of Beach Volleyball) and three assistant coaches, Wendeline Kanangolo (NVF Director of Development), Ishitile Aloisius V. (NUST coach) and Stefanus Kanganjera (NUST & Timeout BVA athlete) the team left for Rundu in the Kavango Region on 12th October.
The development team spent four days at Ngandu Safari Lodge beach volleyball court, coaching athletes in a variety of different ages, genders and abilities, namely, schoolchildren, young adults and experienced volleyball athletes. A day was also spent working with local coaches to share knowledge and training methods of beach volleyball.
A mini beach tournament for all the athletes and coaches that participated in the clinics was also offered in Rundu.
The Aqua Splash NVF Rundu Open ’18 was very well attended with a total of 26 beach volleyball teams; 6 girls, 3 boys, 7 women’s and 10 men’s teams. In the Kavango Region, the total number of athletes and coaches engaged by the beach volleyball development was around 60.
The team then travelled to Oshakati in the far north on 16th October. The first day was spent running a beach clinic for approximately 30 children and 15 adults at the Oshakati Independence Stadium.
Day two saw the team travel to the Haudano School near Okalongo, engaging another 44 boys and girls. Day 3 was spent in Ondangwa, with a kid’s clinic with 14 athletes and then an adult’s clinic with 12 experienced volleyball athletes. A total number of 115 athletes was engaged by the clinics in the far north.
The final part of the development program was activating the Aqua Splash NVF Oshakati Open ’18. This was held at the Oshakati Independence Stadium on Saturday 20th October.
The categories were Men’s 2-a-side, Ladies 2-a-side and Corporate 6-a-side. A really positive turnout of teams saw the Men’s 2’s having 5 teams, Ladies 2’s having 4 teams and the Corporate having 9 teams with an approximate of 110 athletes participating.