By Adolf Kaure.

Netball followers on the coast have been handled to exhilarating motion as Namibia efficiently hosted the 2024 Netball Africa Cup between 9 and 14 December on the MTC Dome in Swakopmund.

Apart from Namibia, women and men’s nationwide groups from Malawi, Eswatini, Lesotho, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa competed.

During an interview, Netball Namibia president, Rebekka Goagoses mentioned that Namibia exceeded their very own expectations in internet hosting the bi-annual event.

“We hope in the future that we can still host it because it creates a platform for our girls to play in front of their own crowd’s supporters. It also enables local support from the corporates to the government to come on board easily.”

“It becomes easier when you are hosting and they also understand the concept and setup of netball in general. So we did extremely well in the hosting the competition and we are extremely proud of ourselves,” mentioned Goagoses.

The Namibian males’s crew made their debut on the competitors. They gained one match (45-32 in opposition to Lesotho) and misplaced 4 (76-38 in opposition to South Africa, 50-48 in opposition to Zambia, 61-31 in opposition to Zimbabwe and 67-25 in opposition to Eswatini).

The Netball Namibia’s president mentioned that the lads’s crew wants extra publicity to enhance in opposition to Africa’s elite. “It was the first inclusion of the men’s team for Namibia for this tournament and they did well. They grasped the technicalities. They just need to get more exposure to more games and we need to get them into a league structure where they play regularly like the women’s team,” she famous.

The Namibian ladies’s crew, which is also referred to as the Desert Jewels, have been unlucky to not advance to the semifinals of the competitors, regardless of solely shedding a solitary match in the complete competitors.

During the pool part, the Desert Jewels defeated Eswatini by 58-47, misplaced by 55-43 in opposition to Uganda earlier than defeating neighbours, Zimbabwe 43-42 in a pulsating encounter.

However, on account of objective distinction, they have been unable to advance to the following stage of the competitors. Goagoses acknowledged that regardless of the the tight margains which prevented the Desert Jewels from continuing to the following part, the crew did the Namibian nation proud.

“It was just unfortunate they could not make it to the semifinals due to goal difference. Zimbabwe beat Uganda and we beat Zimbabwe, so those scenarios made it impossible because at the end of the day we ended up with the same points, but then the teams with the same goal difference proceeded,” mentioned Goagoses.

Namibia, who’re at the moment ranked quantity 19 on the newest World Netball Foundation rankings, defeated Zambia by 54-46 within the fifth/sixth place play-off match.

Goagoses highlighted that beating higher ranked opposition, particularly Zimababwe (ranked quantity 13) and Zambia (ranked quantity 15) supplies the Desert Jewels with the prospect of bettering their world rating. “We did well and played against the best in Africa and we expect a slight movement up in the ranking for our Namibian Desert Jewels,” she mentioned.

Goagoses additional thanked all who have been concerned in making the spectacle a memorable and profitable one. “Thank you to everybody who was involved. Thank you to all our sponsors including our official sponsor – Debmarine Namibia as well as our supporting sponsors – the Namibian government.”

South Africa and Uganda, who’re ranked fifth and sixth on this planet respectively, renewed their rivalry within the ladies’s ultimate. The Proteas outclassed Uganda 65-50 to win the cup for an unprecedented fourth time.

The males’s ultimate was a one-sided encounter as South Africa dismantled Eswatini by 60-39. Zimababwe emerged with third place respectively for each the lads and the ladies’s sections.

Namibia’s proud Desert Jewels with Netball Namibia president Rebekka Goagoses (far left); Deputy Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, Hafeni Ndemula (fifth from left); Swakopmund Mayor, HW Blasius Goraseb (fourth from proper) and training workers after claiming fifth place on the 2024 Africa Netball Cup in Swakopmund. (Photograph by Adolf Kaure)