Debmarine Namibia head coach Julene Meyer has hailed the recently concluded African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games as a vital platform for talent development and identification. 

She called for more tournaments of such calibre to further grow the sport across the continent. 

Meyer expressed satisfaction with the level of netball displayed by the participating teams. 

She was speaking to this publication while attending a netball match at the 2024 AUSC Region 5 Games at the Windhoek Showgrounds. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Netball Cup-winning coach bel i eves that more competitions of this nature should be organised multiple times within the sporting calendar to give players regular opportunities to compete at a high level. 

“I am impressed with what I have witnessed over the past few days. Netball on the continent is moving in the right direction. The games have been nothing but top-class and entertaining. Every country came prepared. I can confidently say Namibia and the Southern African Development Community as a whole have something to be excited about,” she stated. 

Namibia recently lifted the UAE Cup. 

Meyer said the senior national netball team, the Desert Jewels, stands to benefit greatly from the same group of young players who participated in the AUSC Games. 

She stressed that regular competitions are the only way to keep them sharp and adequately prepared for bigger stages. 

“I would hope the national coach keeps this crop of players together. These girls are the future of the Desert Jewels. I would love to coach many of them when they graduate to the senior side. As a country, we need to preserve these players and give them more game time and exposure to continue honing their skills,” Meyer added. 

Jo-Ann Manuel, the director of sport in the ministry, lauded the Namibia AUSC Region 5 netball team’s performance at the games. 

She was impressed with their standards. 

“I believe the team simply had limited time to prepare,” she stated. 

“Had they had adequate time and more training camps, the results would have been different. Nevertheless, making the top four is a significant achievement. I am hoping the players will be kept together,” Manuel said. 

Namibia’s netball team finished fourth at the recently concluded games after losing to Zimbabwe in the third-place play-off at Windhoek Showground. 

South Africa took gold, while Malawi walked away with silver. 

– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na