The beach volleyball year came to an end with the successful completion of the Mole Elite Beach Volleyball Tournament, held in Swakop on the 21st and 22nd of December. This event was made possible with the support of Liquifruit and FSN Energy (FabuPharm).
NVF Beach Volleyball had its most successful year yet, with the Lück sisters winning silver at the Zone 6 Tour in Cape Town, the development teams finishing with a strong 5th-place finish at the African Youth Olympics, and most notably a gold medal (Krafft/Krafft) and a bronze medal (Kesselmann/Biederlack) at the African U21 Beach Volleyball Championship.
All our stars were present for the final tournament of the year and did not disappoint.
The social 2-a-side division delivered fun games and good volleyball. The honours went to Thomas Shilumbu and Helvi Nangolo, with runners-up Moritz Magraf and Felix Zürn. Third place was taken by locals Mark Linow and Kjell Janke against Emma Brinkmann, who played alongside her father, Peter Brinkmann.
The u19 girls’ division featured strong competition and high-quality volleyball, showcasing a promising future for the sport. Gold was snapped up by Sandra Steinkopf and Philine Berger, who showcased strong serving and good control to win the final against Patricia Uusiku and Kara Burger. Bronze went to Mira Coetzee and Amelie Dürrschmidt against the up-and-coming Xenia Kubirske (13), who played with Lisa Hess (13).
In the u19 boys’ division, the defending champions from the north, David Uushona and Ally Alfons, took gold once again. They are looking forward to competing in the men’s division in future events. Silver was secured by Johannes Tobias and Rivaldo Uirab from AfroCat Volleyball in Katutura. Bronze was taken by Rene Steinkopf (16) and Bobby Sinclair (15), who showed great skill throughout the tournament. Their semi-final between Rene & Bobby vs David and Ally went to a deciding third set, with only two points separating the teams at the end. Fourth place was secured by Caden Bosman and Zurique Benjamin.
The women’s division was the most competitive it has been in years. Notably, two young teams – Isabel von Wietersheim and Nora Rogl, as well as Nadia Böhm and Lilly Marschall, all aged 15 – kept the experienced players on their toes. Ultimately, experience prevailed, as Pia Lück, playing with her sister Romy Lück, took gold in a dominant display against Carmen Curschmann and Maike van Doorn. Carmen and Maike showed brilliance in the semi-final, knocking out the favourites Rosi Hennes and Almuth Byrne. Rosi and Almuth went on to secure bronze against the youngsters Isabel and Nora.
In the men’s division, the Krafft brothers Max and Jura reigned supreme, not losing a set and delivering a perfect performance in the final. Danilo von Ludwiger, African senior bronze medallist, partnering with the experienced Conrad Johannes, could not stop the well-rounded attack and structure of Max and Jura Krafft. Bronze was awarded to Fabian Biederlack and Glenn Gebauer via walkover after Luca Kesselmann, partnering with Jan Erik Sack, had to withdraw due to an existing injury that flared up following an excellent semi-final against Conrad and Danilo.
An exciting 2026 awaits, as Namibia is set to host two of the five zonal tour events, with the African u19 Championships and the National Tour also on the calendar.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
