The Desert Jewels are hard at work preparing for the coveted Celtic Cup, slated for Glasgow, Scotland, to be contested by the top-ranked countries in the world.
They are the only African representatives at the spectacular netball-packed action event from 26 to 30 November.
Speaking to Desert FM this week, Desert Jewels head coach Julene Meyer said the players are currently at a training camp preparing for the Celtic Cup, where they will play against top-ranked competitors in the world.
The tournament, which will see Namibia as a guest team, is organised by Netball Scotland, Netball Northern Ireland, and Wales Netball, featuring six nations.
Namibia will face host Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and fellow African giants Uganda and Zimbabwe.
“This is going to be a tough tournament, and our key players are not available for it.”
“It will give these young players some opportunity. I am enjoying these youngsters and the way they are working currently.”
Meyer said the first week of the training camp concentrated on development and specialisation.
“They are really working hard, but it is going to be a very tough tournament with double headers,” she said.
She said the team will travel to Europe and will head to Lilongwe, Malawi, for the Africa Cup three weeks later.
“Netball fans can look forward to a jam-packed November and December in terms of the participation of the Desert Jewels.”
The head coach said the Celtic Cup is vital, as it will impact the Desert Jewels’ ranking by taking on the top-ranked teams between numbers six and 15 in the world.
“We are stepping up and going to benchmark ourselves against the best. It will have an impact on the ranking. All six games we will be playing in Scotland and the three warm-up matches will give our youngsters the necessary exposure while in Scotland,” Meyer said.
She said if the Desert Jewels manage to pull off a few wins against the top nations, they would move up in the world rankings.
The Africa Cup, set for Lilongwe, will be another competitive tournament, as they will be up against host Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, Meyer said.
MTC NETBALL PREMIERSHIP
“I am impressed by the improvements in the league and the progress in the players’ conditioning.
“I also enjoyed the fact that many of the games were much more competitive than previously. So, we are heading in the right direction as intensity is becoming much higher,” she said.
Meyer said she is also excited about the new talent that seems to surface in the MTC Namibia Premier League every year.
Asked about the dominance of uniformed clubs, Meyer said they provide players with employment placement.
“I don’t think it’s wrong for a player wanting employment. That’s why many of these organised sport clubs are doing so well.”
She said uniformed clubs are currently dominating, but she believes balance will be restored in the future.
“The uniformed clubs are currently the strongest teams, and commercial clubs are struggling to keep their players, but once the balance is established, it would force teams to actually develop their own players.”
Meyer welcomed MTC’s announcement of providing each player with N$500 per month for the duration of the next season, eventually aiming to turn the netball league professional.
She said this would give them the opportunity to take care of themselves in terms of nutrition, gym, and conditioning services.
“So many players will benefit, and there will be more stability in clubs retaining players because of this incentive.”
