Namibia and Estonia’s men’s tennis teams, who will compete in the Davis Cup World Group Two playoffs, yesterday received three branded GWM Haval vehicles from Pupkewitz GWM to use during the duration of the playoffs.
The playoffs will be held at the Central Tennis Club (CTC) in Windhoek from 7 to 8 February and will feature singles and doubles matches in a best-of-three format, with both teams competing for qualification to the World Group Two later in the year.
Team Namibia will be represented by Codie van Schalkwyk, Jean Erasmus, Steyn Dippenaar, Ruben Yssel, and Nguvi Hinda.
Speaking at the vehicle handover, Pupkewitz GWM sales manager Bianca Weakley said the dealership was pleased to partner with the Namibia Tennis Association (NTA), noting that supporting local sport and Namibian teams is important to the company.
Namibia’s head coach, Gerrie Dippenaar, acknowledged that his side will be up against an experienced Estonian team in the upcoming tie, given their all-professional line-up. However, he stressed that his players are ready to fight.
“Their strength definitely lies in their experienced line-up, with all their players currently holding Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) points. We are confident that we can counter them with our team’s youth and home-court support,” Dippenaar said.
In February last year, Namibia competed in the same category against Hong Kong, narrowly losing the tie 3-2. The players are eager to improve on that 2025 result and view the tie against Estonia as a privilege rather than added pressure.
Preparation has not been without challenges for the Namibian side, particularly with the absence of their number one player, Connor van Schalkwyk, who is unavailable due to college commitments.
Also speaking at the handover, player Ruben Yssel described Namibia as the underdogs, noting that Estonia’s top player is among the best. However, he believes that a strong fight could swing the result in Namibia’s favour.
NTA president Sam Kaulinge described Namibia’s participation in the Davis Cup playoffs as a significant milestone for local tennis.
“The Davis Cup, better known as the World Cup of Tennis, taking place here at home, shows that the tennis development programmes implemented by the NTA are beginning to bear fruit,” Kaulinge said.