NETBALL Namibia’s nationwide reactivation drive is nearly complete, says the federation’s vice president Rebekka Goagoses.
Only the Zambezi region’s structures are not aligned yet as part of NN’s mission to resuscitate dormant regions and streamline operations.
The exercise ties in with plans to ensure talent flows seamlessly through into the inaugural MTC Netball Premier League and national teams.
“We are at a very advanced stage of our outreach programme, as we have covered 90% of the regions we identified that needed assistance. In December 2020 it was Kunene, January was //Kharas and in February we were in Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto,” said Goagoses.
“Zambezi is still outstanding but it’s a work in progress. Hopefully by the end of March we should have achieved our objective,” she added.
Once all regions have been covered, the expectation is for the elected regional executives to get the ball rolling.
They are required to get regional club structures in place; have organised netball played through league setups in each region; and arrange workshops for umpires and coaches.
“When having active leagues in all 14 regions, it enables opportunities for the netballers to compete, interact and showcase their talent on a broader scale,” Goagoses said of their plan.
“We need to move away from only assembling teams when competitions such as [The Namibian] Newspaper Cup, Debmarine Bridge the Gap, or Youth Games are close. We can’t expect a region to do well if they are not playing netball throughout.
“Netball is a national code and must be played in all 14 regions. Netball is a career, we have many testimonies about it.”
With the restructuring process nearly complete, attention turns to the MTC Namibia Netball Premier League playoffs for which dates will be announced shortly. Traditional netball strongholds Erongo (Navy and Eleven Arrows), Otjozondjupa (NDF, Grootfontein NC) and Khomas (Windhoek Correctional Services, Tigers) already have representatives entered in the inaugural league.
The remaining six spots will be determined through playoffs involving the other 11 regions.
“We are preparing ourselves for the MTC Namibia Netball Premier League, which we are very excited for,” said Goagoses.
“Regions get ready for the playoffs, prepare your three teams which will be competing at the playoffs as the dates will be announced soon.”
On the international front, Namibia is yet to confirm whether to feature at the 2021 Spar Challenge, which takes place in Cape Town from 24 to 31 March. Guaranteed to be at the tournament are host South Africa’s Proteas, Uganda’s She Cranes, the SA President’s XII, and the Baby Proteas (under-21s).
South Africa and Uganda rank in the top 10 globally, with Namibia at 23.
“If we manage to participate, it will be a great and opportune platform for us to expose our girls against the best. Remember, we are focussing on qualifying for the world championship in 2023 and any international games along the way are very important for us because preparation is key,” Goagoses said.
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