Maqonda Ndlovu

Netball Namibia president Rebekka Goagoses said the recently ended African Netball Cup is a privilege for the Debmarine Desert Jewels, as it provided the team with an opportunity to compete internationally.

Speaking to New Era Sport recently, Goagoses said the national team did not have any international participation this year, and they took the opportunity for the girls to improve their rankings and position themselves to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

“Before you qualify for the World Cup, you need to play on the continent and fight for the four sports available. This is the type of platform that we need,” she said.

Goagoses said the aim is to break into the top 10 in the world rankings.

The Netball Namibia president said the participation also provided an opportunity for new players in the team to play netball on the ‘spring floor’, which is usually used at the highest levels.

Namibia does not have a ‘spring floor’ court, with all matches played on hard clay courts.

“The spring floor is different. When you play outside, it is different from playing indoors. The two different courts require different types of sneakers, for example,” she said. In terms of the team’s performance at the recently concluded tournament, Goagoses said everyone involved was happy that the team came in second.

“We played a podium match, which was an achievement for the team. The technical team did extremely well, and the players were fantastic throughout the tournament,” she said.

She paid tribute to the sponsors as well as the government and all the stakeholders, saying they aim to continue developing the sport.

Meanwhile, World Netball (WN) recently updated the World Rankings, which saw Namibia break into the top 20 best netballing nations in the world.

WN said the rankings include the results from the international series that took place from 30 September to 10 December 2023, with 84 matches taking place across the five regions.

Namibia was rewarded in the WN World Rankings for her success in the Africa Netball Cup, finishing in the silver medal position at the Africa Netball Cup that took place in Gaborone, Botswana, from 28 November to 7 December 2023.

Goagoses expressed gratitude for the feat, stating, “Namibia’s top 20 ranking in the world netball reflects our unwavering dedication as a netball community. The silver medal at the Africa Netball Cup was a testament to the skill, resilience and sportsmanship of the Debmarine Desert Jewels. This accomplishment not only elevates our standing in the global netball fraternity but also underscores the bright future that lies ahead for Namibian netball”.

She thanked the coaching staff and the team for their success, saying they still have ambitions to rise in the rankings. “While we celebrate this momentous achievement, our eyes are fixed on higher aspirations. To achieve our goals of qualifying for the next World Cup and Commonwealth Games, we acknowledge the need to continually challenge ourselves. Strengthening our domestic league, initiating test series and seeking opportunities to participate in international competitions are the next logical steps.” Namibia was previously ranked 22nd. – jrnmarko@gmail.com