Hilma Nalupe 

The Namibia Tennis Association (NTA), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, hosted a send-off ceremony on Monday afternoon for 12 of the country’s top U/14 and U/16 girls’ and boys’ tennis players. 

The players will represent Namibia at the International Tennis Federation/ Confederation of African Tennis Southern African Junior Individual and Team Championships. The championships will take place from 9 to 17 January in Gaborone, Botswana. 

The team will be accompanied by four coaches and one team manager for the duration of the tournament, with Namibia’s young players expected to face strong competition from across southern Africa, including Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

Junior Tennis Committee chairperson Daniel du Toit wished the team well, expressing hope that they would return home with medals despite the high level of competition. 

“We know it’s going to be tough, but we hope our players will give it their best shot. They will also gain valuable experience by competing at international level,” said du Toit. 

U/14 boys’ player Shafiishuna Shimali echoed this confidence, saying he believes the team is well prepared and hopes they will return stronger, having achieved gold. 

Namibia hosted the championships over the past two years, while Botswana is set to host again in 2027, as the zonal event follows a rotational hosting cycle. 

-hnalupe@nepc.com.na