Namibia ends 10-year wait to host Zone Six clubs

The Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone Six Club Championship will return to Namibia this December, ending a decade-long wait since the country last hosted the regional showpiece in 2016.

This was confirmed by the Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) in Windhoek yesterday, with the federation describing the announcement as the start of a “new era of sporting excellence”.

In a statement, the NVF said hosting the championship will help solidify the country’s reputation as a premier destination for sports tourism and high-level competition.

The tournament is expected to bring together more than 60 club teams from Namibia and the Zone Six ten-member countries to battle it out at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund from 14 to 21 December.

The champions of the Zone Six Club Championship will qualify for the African Club Championship, with dates yet to be determined, as confirmed by NVF technical director Ndinelago Kasheeta.

Delay in hosting

During the launch event at the Namibia Sports Commission yesterday, NVF first vice president Liina Matheus said limited resources had contributed to the delay in hosting the annual zonal showpiece.

“Hosting it is very exciting, but at the same time very challenging, especially when it comes to [the financial obligations involved]. As much as we wanted to host, we faced financial challenges,” she said.

Matheus added that the federation depends on sponsors for its activities and called on interested entities to come on board and partner with them to host more international events and uplift the sport.

“This will also allow us to field more teams and have more of our athletes competing [against players from other countries] because it is cheaper for them to compete at home than to foot the travelling expenses to compete abroad,” she noted.

Matheus further cautioned that the ability to field more teams as the host nation, with those teams only having to pay registration fees to compete, does not mean the federation does not need funds to make the event a success.

From humble beginnings

Also present at the occasion, Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) president Dr Ndeulipula Hamutumwa reflected on the NVF’s humble beginnings and growth over the years.

“We remain proud to see the evolution of this federation to be among the biggest federations in the country. A few days ago, we supported the men’s and women’s national teams to compete at the Olympic Qualifiers with over N$800 000,” he said.

Hamutumwa noted that the NNOC’s support for the Desert Warriors and Desert Queens, who are competing in Zimbabwe, is based on the committee’s belief in the transformative power the NVF has brought to young people.

At the same event, the NVF also confirmed the launch of its new website, which will offer access to news and federation information through www.namibiavolleyball.org

NVF second vice president Julia Gideon-/Ais said: “The main aim of the website is to integrate volleyball [disciplines into one platform].”

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