Namibia’s Desert Jewels will score a first when they compete in the 2024 Pacific Netball Series in Australia, scheduled to run from 10 to 15 June.
The tournament will feature six countries: Namibia, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Singapore and the home team – christened First Nations Australian team.
Head coach of the Namibian jewels Julene Meyer expressed the team’s ambitious goals – “to perform well and reach the finals”.
She stressed the importance of benchmarking against island nations to improve Namibia’s world ranking, currently at 20th. Tonga is ranked 8th, Fiji 15th, Samoa 17th and Singapore 24th.
Meyer highlighted that this tournament is the first major competition for Namibia this year, with the aim to climb into the top 15 in the world rankings by competing against higher-ranked and competitive teams.
“The team has been working hard for the past six months, learning valuable lessons from our sudden-death final loss against Zambia at the African Netball Championship in Pretoria last year.”
The Desert Jewels commenced their pre-departure camp on 24 May. “There’s an urgency in the players; their conditioning is the best I’ve seen,” Meyer said. “The intensity in sessions is exceptional. The players are working hard, and are ruthless in their pursuit of excellence.”
Meyer expressed her optimism and pride in the team’s dedication. “I’ve never seen a group of players so determined to perform. As a coach, this is a great sight and position to be in at this stage in preparations. Losing that final (which Zambia ended up winning 57-55) has turned into motivation, driving us to prepare to the best of our ability, and it’s translating to our court execution.”
The squad includes six new players among the 15, with three youngsters set to make their debuts. “Introducing new talent is crucial for our growth and future success,” Meyer added.
The Desert Jewels will depart for Australia next Tuesday, ready to showcase their skills and compete against some of the best teams in the region.
– lmupetami@nepc.com.na