GOBABIS – In spite of the immense talent noticeable in the country, issues around the lack of netball infrastructure, among others, are obstacles to the development of the game in Namibia.
Kavango East netball assistant coach Frans Joseph Ndara said this on the margins of the recently-concluded 2024 Nedbank Namibian football and netball tournament hosted at the Legare Stadium in Gobabis this past weekend.
Ndara stated that talent is in abundance in his region, and he has observed the interest of girls who yearn to play netball.
“Proper netball courts and other forms of infrastructure form part of an important chain of resources that enhance the performance of learners. We lack that in Kavango East, and it hampers the development of the game in the country,” he noted.
Kavango East, through sheer strength and determination, managed to get third place overall when they beat Otjozondjupa 31-30. The coach believes that netball
has the potential to be a leading sports code that can take Namibia to greater heights, and that sports sponsors and administrators need to invest more in it.
Erongo region head coach Jones Musambani shared similar sentiments, saying educators and coaches should be more serious about the games.
“There is a lot of talent in Erongo; however, the coaches should improve. Honestly, schools are lazy. Only private schools are doing great. Teachers and coaches don’t make or have time for these young talented players in our schools. Everyone is always busy but when it comes to travelling and taking part in competitions; all of a sudden, teachers want to be at the forefront,” he fumed.
Both Erongo’s football and netball teams found the going tough and did not make it to the semi-finals this year.
Musambani added that the attitude of coaches and teachers should change.
‘‘It’s not fair; let’s respect our players and give them the much-needed support, love and training,’’ he said.
For Enrica Farmer, the head coach of the triumphant Khomas region, who won the netball competition for the third consecutive time, there are more young netball enthusiasts who need to be groomed and would require additional investment and infrastructure in the code. “We need to focus on the development of netball in Namibia. There is a bright future for the game in the country. With the assistance of governors, we can be more equipped and capacitated to take netball to greater heights,” she said.
On her part, Netball Namibia president Rebecca Goagoses said they have taken note of the concerns raised in bettering the game.
“We need to work together and properly lay the foundation at the school level. There is a need for leadership to incorporate and execute these tasks and visions as far as netball is concerned,” she said.
She noted the lack of passion for netball coaching, adding that in yesteryears, there were dedicated teachers responsible for netball.
“This competition, in my view, delivered according to our vision because we wanted development. This is a development stage. We have teams like Khomas that reigned supreme, and this is because of the resources they have back home,” she said.
Goagoses added there is a need to invest in teams at the regional level and to properly prepare teams to compete with one another.