Namibia netball is pregnant
By Victor Angula |
There’s possibly no sport code in Namibia that is pregnant with potential as netball.
This is so despite the fact that netball is one of the most popular sport codes, yet one of the most unrecognised by society’s institutions.
It was only then that I heard that premier digital enabler, MTC, had on 3 October 2021 announced a budget increase for the MTC Netball Premier League from N$1.4 million to N$1.9 million “following a satisfactory run and ending of the league” of 2020.
Yet most of us don’t even know that there was a netball premier league season in 2020, and that there is one that has been ongoing in 2021, and now just next month another would begin.
There is just no seriousness on the part of everybody where netball is concerned. Nobody is responsible with disseminating netball information, be it media releases or marketing activities to attract spectators to the matches.
Even the big media houses, they don’t care covering netball. Even when Namibia is playing in international competitions, the media would not report it. Of course you would see the Namibian Sun reporting on netball here and there.
Recently there was The Namibian Newspaper Cup competition in Oshakati. When Khomas and Erongo played the final game in the netball category only Omutumwa was there (and of course the The Namibian’s Desert Radio).
Even as the young ladies from various regions battled it out for top honors at The Namibian Newspaper Cup you could see that Namibia is full of potential. If many of these school going girls would go on to follow a career out of netball, then Namibia would become one of the strong netball countries on the continent.
But this potential mostly goes to waste due to lack of commitment by societal institutions who could to help harness this potential. So that most of this potential goes to waste.
Omusati came third in the competition, and you could see that these girls are hungry for netball. You might even assume that most of these girls are from poor backgrounds, so that netball could be something that may provide them with a chance to make a shot at big monies and major league success in the world if netball in Namibia were taken seriously.
So, finally, it’s in the hands of those in charge of sport development in terms of proper administration, sponsorship and logistical support if this potential in these youngsters will be aborted or end in stillborn situations – or will be handled by professionals who will deliver, deliver, and deliver to make Namibia a great netballing nation.
