Conny Samaria, the chairperson of the organising committee for the Africa Netball Cup currently taking place at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund, has hailed the tournament as a success thus far. 

The competition, which began on Monday and is set to end on 15 December, has drawn impressive participation in both the women’s and men’s categories, marking a significant milestone in the African netball journey.

In the women’s category, host nation Namibia competes alongside Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while the men’s category has Namibia, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Samaria noted: “The competition is of a high quality, and the months of preparation have paid off. We’re particularly thrilled to witness the return of strong teams from across Africa.

“This year is historic for the inclusion of a record number of men’s teams, a significant leap from previous tournaments that typically featured only three men’s teams. Africa Netball and Netball Namibia have worked tirelessly over the years, and it’s encouraging to see the fruits of our efforts.”

The Desert Jewels, Namibia’s women’s team, have shown promising form, securing an emphatic victory over Eswatini in their opening match. They were scheduled to face Uganda yesterday afternoon, with hopes high for another strong performance.

However, the Namibian men’s team has struggled in the competition, highlighting the challenges of not having an active local league. 

“We have talent, but without a structured league, it’s difficult to develop consistent performance,” Samaria said. “This tournament is excellent exposure, and we must focus on building proper structures for a league.”

The men’s team has lost all their matches so far. They suffered defeats against South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia. Yesterday, they were set to face Zimbabwe in another tough encounter.