Namibia etched their name into the history books by securing a silver medal in the men’s division at the inaugural African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Beach Volleyball Championship on Saturday afternoon.

Competing as host nation at the ongoing 2024 AUSC Region 5 Games at a packed DTS grounds in Olympia, Namibia had to settle for second place after going down 2-1 to a stronger Zimbabwe side in an exciting final.  Malawi claimed the bronze medal after overcoming South Africa in a hard-fought playoff. Namibia men’s beach volleyball coach Aloisius Ishitile expressed pride in his team’s performance. 

He said a silver medal was a respectable result given the quality of their final opponents. 

“I think we did well. Zimbabwe was better than us today. But even looking at the score, 2-1, it wasn’t a bad showing. I’m proud of the boys. Getting silver is something we can build on heading forward. We showed character today. I believe the nation is proud of the two boys,” he said.

Ishitile added that the team would return to the drawing board to address their shortcomings.

He highlighted the need for early preparation and more match exposure ahead of next year’s edition, which is set to be staged in Mozambique.

 “We have to work harder and get more school kids involved in beach volleyball. Also, we need to advocate for more local tournaments where raw talent is being refined and keep them sharp,” Ishitile stressed.

In the women’s division, Angola claimed gold after edging out Zimbabwe in an intense final. 

Mozambique walked away with the bronze following a commanding win over Lesotho in the third-place playoff.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s men’s coach Nyashadzashe Takawira commended his team for their determined performance. He expressed hopes of retaining and strengthening the squad for the next tournament.

“What my boys did here today was superb. I’m proud of them. I hope we can keep this team together, work harder and defend our title next year in Mozambique,” he said.

– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na