Maurice Kambukwe

WINDHOEK- Secretary-general of the Namibia Basketball Federation (NBF), Ramah Mumba, says the federation is striving to compete in more international competitions next year, for international exposure. According to Mumba, this year wasn’t the best of years in term of international participation and the lack of funds to compete was also another major hurdle for the federation.

“To close off the year, we are hoping to do well at the ongoing U/18 3x basketball competition in Gaborone, Botswana, which features about eleven countries including Namibia,” said Mumba.

He added that despite the challenges, the NBF remains optimistic of partaking in more international events next year as plans are already afloat to ensure Namibia is represented globally, although he admits inadequate funding remains a problem.

“The challenges we face were mostly around finances, which denied us opportunities to partake in various international competitions. International events are important in assisting the NBF with its broader development agenda. For next year, we are targeting at more global competitions in order to improve our world rankings,” highlighted the secretary-general.

Despite the financial shortcomings, Mumba expressed satisfaction with how basketball has developed and evolved in Namibia over the years and is confident the NBF will continue to maintain the upward trajectory.
“It’s very exciting to see how basketball in Namibia has grown in the past few years as evidenced by various competitions in local leagues. We can only get far if we continue to promote the sport at grassroots level.”