Despite being hamstrung by many obstacles, the game of netball has evolved over the last couple of years, with a significant number of players making serious inroads on the international arena. 

Respectfully, this is all thanks to well-defined developmental programmers at the school level, who have kept the game afloat against all odds. 

One chief beneficiary of those programmers is none other than the slippery cat-footed, versatile basket-rattler Juliet Uauanisa Karijahuua-Tjituka, a proud product of the former predominantly whites’ Orban Primary and Jan Möhr Secondary schools, where she cut her teeth, learning how to play netball the way the game should be played.

The multi-talented, sport-crazy madame went on to represent her motherland internationally with great aplomb. After numerous failed attempts to sit her down for an in-depth interview about her long and winding journey on the netball courts, New Era Sport finally managed to round up the slippery wingback as she takes us down memory lane on her flawless sporting journey that took her across the Mediterranean ocean.

Born and raised in Namibia’s commercial hub Windhoek, Karijahuua-Tjituka was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, unlike many of her childhood friends in the neighbourhood.

The madame started her elementary education at the Orban Primary School, and completed her secondary education at the revered Jan Möhr High School. 

Admittedly, her white teachers and classmates at Orban Primary had difficulties pronouncing her clan name Uauanisa properly, and rather chose to shorten it to ‘Uauaa’. 

That name got stuck up to the present day. Being the only non-white pupil at the school, Tjituka had a mountain Kilimanjaro to scale, competing on equal footing with her ‘self-styled superior’ white counterparts. 

“I knew very well the odds were stacked against me, meaning I had to pull up my socks and be on top of my game in whatever engagements we undertook – be it academically, or competing on the sports field,” she recalled with excitement on her babyface.

“I just felt I had an obligation to prove that we are equal in the eyes of the Beholder, and wanted to be the groundbreaker in terms of racial prejudices and inequality. I desperately wanted to break the misplaced cycle that whites were superior to blacks in whatever they lay their hands on. 

“I was indeed obligated to work hard if I was to surpass their level of competency because if you are an outsider, you cannot be on the same level. You have to be slightly better to silence the doubting Thomas,” she narrated.

As fate would dictate, she befriended former Namibian beauty queen Luzaan van Wyk, whose old lady Sonja van Wyk happened to be a schoolteacher at Orban Primary School. 

“She (Mrs Van Wyk) took note of my talent and placed me under her wing, mentoring and monitoring my progress and overall development with an eagle eye, to the extent that she convinced my parents to have me enrolled at the Quinton Steele-Botes Coca-Cola-sponsored training camps. She also made sure the school paid for my training programmes,” she recalled.

Apart from rattling the hoops, she also excelled in track and field athletics, and was a mean competitor in the 100-metre (m) sprints and 70m hurdles. 

Her impressive resume includes representing Namibia at the regional level under the Namibia Schools Sports Union (NSSU) banner on several occasions. 

She also represented her school with a great measure of success. 

Aged 12, Tjituka made her debut for the national U/13 netball team. 

Following a near-faultless display in the youth games, retired schoolteacher and former Young Ones player-coach Elma Brockerhof took note of the all-rounder’s raw talent, and decided to take the upcoming star under her wing.

Her exploits on the netball courts did not go unnoticed, as she was deservedly voted sportswoman of the year for Orban Primary, certainly no mean feat. 

Her next stop was next door at the Jan Möhr Secondary School after her mentor negotiated with school principal, the late Fanie van Zyl, to have the ‘Wunderkind’ admitted at the school to complete her grade eight to develop her God-given talent, and take it to the next level. Orban Primary resolved to cover all the school fees and other basic needs. 

“I was very excited because being accepted at Jan Möhr was a step in the right direction. Obviously not only my sporting career, but more importantly academically. Upon my arrival at Jan Möhr, I made long-lasting friends with other highly-gifted athletes in the shape of Operi Kaumbi-Tjituka, Mara-Lee Dausas, Maggie Mengo, Desiree Cloete, James Britz and Frank Puriza. 

In the meantime, Tjituka joined the University of Namibia (Unam) Athletics Club under the stewardship of veteran mentor Lucky Gawanab. 

Aged 16, the multitalented athlete was lured to Orlando Pirates by wide-awake coach Cecily Hanse-Kahuika, who spotted the all-rounder during the Namibia Schools Sports Union games.

“It was much easier for me to slot in at Pirates because my old school teammate, Cloete, was in the same team, and could guide me through the process of adaptation and different playing styles. I gained valuable experience, exposure and confidence after our tour to South Africa for the Durban Inn Tourney,” she narrated. A bird of passage, Tjituka developed itchy feet, and vacated the Buccaneers’ ship – only to resurface at cross-location rivals Civics after the streetwise Anita Ndjaronguru dangled a juicy carrot in her babyface to exchange Katutura for Khomasdal after watching the deft-footed all-rounder during the national U/19 trials. 

Tjituka established herself as a vital cog in the unplayable Civilians’ starting sevens, and went on to enjoy unsurpassed success in uninterrupted playing stretching over a decade. Upon completion of her secondary studies, she continued playing for Civics in the competitive premier league, winning high-profile silverware, including the coveted league title. 

However, she was obligated to call it quits whilst still at the pinnacle of her blossoming journey after suffering a career-ending ankle injury at 24. 

Nonetheless, she was not entirely lost to sport, as she embarked on another journey in the industry. 

She obtained a Diploma in Sport Medics, and was in the dugout when the national U/17 team clinched the Cosafa Regional Youth Cup in fine style in Mauritius in 2017. She was the designated medical expert for the Brave Warriors and Unam football team. Her filthy-rich, impressive resume includes national colours at U/13, 16, 19 and 21 as well as vice-captain of the national netball team between 2006 and 2009. Outside the sporting arena, she is the proud holder of multiple academic achievements in the following sequence: Diploma in Tourism (International University of Management), Bachelor of Honours in Education (Unam), Sport Medics (University of Kwazulu/Natal).