Newly-elected president of the Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) Tobias Mwatelulo has outlined his vision for the sport discipline, while emphasising the importance of grassroots development.
Mwatelulo, who represented Namibia at junior level, took over as president from Hillary Dux Imbuwa following the federation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which took place last week at Katima Mulilo in Zambezi region.
Lina Matheus was elected as the first vice president, Julia Gideon as second vice president, Festus Hamukwaya is the secretary general, Dorothy Nambahu the treasurer, Elina Veijo was elected as the gender minority representative, while Jefta Nangombe is the athletes’ representative.
In an interview yesterday with this publication, the former Ongenga Primary School pupil shared his plans for the federation and the sport. “I have received many congratulatory messages from different people and stakeholders, and it’s a great feeling to be entrusted to lead this wonderful federation. I hope to add value to one of the fastest-growing sports codes in the country,” he said.
The former Nampower and Kudus volleyball club player will lead the federation for the next four years, and he outlines uniting the federation as one of his short-term goals. He aims to elevate Namibia’s volleyball to elite level, with aspirations to compete in the next Olympic Games and increase international match participation, including in the African Cup.
Although he has ambitious goals, Mwatelulo emphasised the need for a solid foundation. “We need to develop kids at an early age if we hope to perform well at the international level. One of our strategies is to go out to remote areas, and partner with academies, schools and grassroots volleyball leagues,” he stated.
Mwatelulo also plans to have active board members within the regions to assess and address material and resource needs. “At the moment, we have good players, but they will phase out soon. If we develop talent at an early age, we will be able to reach greater heights because by the time they turn 16/17, they would have been moulded into good players,” he added.
The NVF currently runs a national league with 16 teams, both male and female, powered by telecommunication giant MTC.
Mwatelulo aims to attract more sponsors and strengthen existing ties. “Right now, we have MTC and Bank Windhoek sponsoring the national league and beach volleyball tournaments. The results are tremendous, but we want more sponsors on board. We want volleyball to be one of the biggest sports codes in the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the outgoing president in a statement said he was happy to have represented NVF, and added much-needed value to the growing sport. Imbuwa also served in the marketing commission for the Confederation of African Volleyball, which is the continent’s volleyball governing body.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of the NVF, a journey that has been filled with both challenges and triumphs. As your outgoing president, I am filled with a sense of pride and gratitude for the progress we have made together. Our collective efforts have not only strengthened the foundation of the volleyball brand in Namibia, but have also set the stage for a promising future,” added Imbuwa.
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na