By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK – She is back in the land of the Brave with a bang! That’s Namibia’s most accomplished netballer, Jatjinda Kambatuku, aka Toetsie, among her vast circle of friends.
The lanky goal shooter, who plies her trade with England’s Netball Super League campaigners Northumbria University, is currently on vacation in her native land and says she has learnt valuable lessons on foreign soil during her four-year stint in the United Kingdom.
Toetsie is playing in the highly competitive league since 2011, after she impressed talent scouts from that neck of the woods earning a scholarship. She is currently studying towards a degree in Sports Management and Development at the Newcastle based tertiary institution.
“There is a huge gap between the standard of tour domestic netball and the game over there in Europe. “
“The game of netball is extremely popular in England and most games in the Super league attract full houses, while players are very dedicated to the game.”
A much slimmer Toetsie, believes local players and coaches need to the change their outdated training methods if they are to compete at the highest level.
“I became a much better athlete in terms of technical skills since moving to England. My technical awareness has improved dramatically and this can be attributed to the way we train, approach the game while the strict patterns of nutrition forms an essential part of one’s overall conditioning”.
She strongly believes Namibia has what it takes to produce talented netballers who can follow in her footsteps. The nimble footed athlete encourages other young women to take the game seriously as it could open doors for them.
“Netball has provided an opportunity for me to pursue my academic career abroad while playing netball at the highest level.
“One never really knows when opportunities come your way, so they must just keep playing and hope for the best,” she concludes.