Maurice Kambukwe
Ramouna Shipunda
Newly-elected president of Netball Namibia (NN) Rebekka Goagoses yesterday said she is ready to steer the federation to greater heights.
She said this after being elected the new leader of the netball body. Goagoses replaces Lydia Mutenda.
Other board members include Seu P Gowaseb (technical director), Connie Samaria (vice president of strategy and policy), Marvellous Khaebes-Orchar (vice president of development), Rauna Haulu (regional and association member representative) and Juanitha Witbeen (additional member).
She told this publication she was humbled to be entrusted by the whole netball fraternity to lead them for the next four years.
Goagoses said with the previous board in which she served as VP for marketing, she had already achieved a lot – like getting a sponsor for the top-flight league, “and what’s left would be to build on that success”.
“As the new substantive president of NN, I would want the new board to build the already-achieved success and expand on them, continue development of technical officials countrywide and increase participation of the national teams in regional competitions to increase the chances of improving the ranking,” she said. The most important aspect they are looking at, she said, would be the establishment of active leagues in all 14 regions, which will help improve the national team.
“We still do have regions in the country that are struggling to get their leagues off the ground; hence, national strategic support will be offered to such regions to assist them to re-establish themselves.”
Other plans include the proper governance and management of netball in Namibia nationally, establishing a developmental approach to feeding the senior national team through increasing the participation of junior teams in regional competitions and semi-professionalising the code, considering its national sports code status.
The new president said working on securing sponsors for clubs remains on top of the agenda.
“In the past two years, there have been huge challenges for clubs to secure their own sponsorship. Henceforth, work with the clubs in assisting on approaches, preparing presentations for sponsorship will be done and hope that this will work out in a way,” she noted.
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