WINDHOEK – Namibia’s Under-19 Beach Volleyball Teams returned from Entebbe, Uganda, earlier this week with a gold medal in the girls division, courtesy of some splendid showing by the dangerous combination of Kim Seebach and Stephanie Palmhert.
The pair defied all odds to dispatch the hosts twice with 2-0 sets. After their successful qualification for the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games last month, the Namibian pair will now travel to Portugal at the end of July to partake in the prestigious Under-19 World Championships, where they will compete against the best junior teams in the world.
The Boys team of Jan Eric Sack and Roman von Ludwiger faced some tough competition on the shores of Lake Victoria against formidable combinations from Egypt, Kenya and hosts Uganda. The two lost 2-1 against Egypt after they were tied at 15-15 in the 3rd set. “It was a very unlucky defeat and it could have gone either way,” said coach James Verrinder after the 15-17 loss. Against hosts Uganda, the Namibians were also on equal footing after 2 sets and again lost in the decisive final set – going down 10-15. The focus was now turned to Kenya to salvage something from the tourney, but once again the Namibians, clearly demoralized by the previous defeats, could not get out of first gear and suffered a 0-2 defeat, shattering their dreams for the World Championships. “They have now gained some experience on the continent and will have to go back to the drawing board,” said Heiko Kesselmann, Beach Volleyball Director of the Namibia Volleyball Federation.
By Staff Reporter