Meunae Mieze (17) has big dreams. She wants to become a technical official in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

This ambition was ignited by her recent experience officiating matches at the AUSC Region 5 Games in Windhoek.

Mieze, still a high school student, became a basketball statistician two years ago after completing an online course offered by the global governing body for basketball.

She is responsible for overseeing the sport worldwide Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA). 

“I didn’t think of becoming one until I joined a short course that was offered by FIBA back in 2022. A few meetings were held. Since then, its history,” she shared.

As a technical official, Mieze’s role involves meticulously recording every action of the game to provide match statistics. 

She began honing her skills by officiating in the Khomas Basketball League.

 Her dedication led to her selection for the recent Region 5 Games.

While she has handled local league matches, he found the level of competition at the AUSC Games to be a significant step up. 

“It was my first time officiating at a bigger tournament. I can say the level differs a lot,” an excited Mieze stated. 

“At the Region 5 Games, it’s intense. You must make sure you are accurate at all times. The most important thing is communication confirmation across the table matters so much to ensure the statistics are recorded correctly without errors,” she shared. 

She stressed the profound impact the games had on her. 

“The games opened so much for me and many others. We learned to work under pressure, ensure accuracy at all times and understand the importance of communication. Most importantly, it exposed us to international standards of officiating, working and being professional,” Mieze stated.

She noted: “We learned a lot from the games and connected with officials from other countries who have worked in this space for over 15 years. We learned so much from our seniors. I am grateful for the opportunity provided to us by the Namibia Basketball Federation (NBF) through the AUSC Region 5 Games. With the knowledge we gained, we’ll now put it back into our local league and help elevate our standards,” she added. 

NBF president hails young official

Titus Mwahafa, president of the Namibia Basketball Association, confirmed that Mieze is registered with the association as both a match and technical official. 

He praised her performance and highlighted the importance of nurturing young talent.

“She is a very disciplined and hard-working young lady. She represented Namibia at the FIBA-NBA Youth Camp in 2022. 

Exposing Namibians at a young age can only grow the game locally. We need to invest in these kinds of officials as a federation,” he stated.

Namibia’s basketball teams competed in the 11th edition of the AUSC Region 5 Games. 

While the boys’ team did not advance past the preliminary round, they still took pride in their participation and effort.

Her mentor at the club she is affiliated with, Melusi Linda of the University of Namibia Phoenix, described her as a very hardworking individual. 

“She doesn’t play around. She is someone who works for what she wants. 

Seeing her officiate at such a big event inspired us all,” he said.

– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na