• Sport

Namibia wins double bronze at LA2028 qualifiers

• 11 Hours Ago

Namibia’s Desert Warriors and Desert Queens both claimed bronze medals on Saturday at the senior volleyball qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games at Sunrise Sports Club in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The feat, achieved at the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone Six showpiece, marked the country’s first international volleyball podium finish in nearly 20 years.

The journey back to international participation after more than 14 years without a national team gathered pace last September when the Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) appointed Joel Matheus as national team head coach.

Matheus is a former national team player and an International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)-certified instructor with a strong pedigree that includes international instructing.

He made his first national team call-up of 36 men’s players and 27 women’s players for a baseline test and training camp last November, with the final 18-player squads announced in March.

The 14-player squads fielded for the Olympic qualifiers had Kudakwashe Mutasa as women’s coach, with Marjatha Katondoka as assistant coach. The men’s team was coached by Mwita Sikopo, assisted by Natango Nambala.

Messah Kambala captained the Desert Warriors, while Frieda Iindongo led the Desert Queens.

Bronze-medal race

The Desert teams’ bronze-medal race produced a mixed outing in the round-robin stage, with the Warriors holding off Malawi in a five-setter to claim a 3-2 victory, while the Queens endured a tougher start as they fell 3-0 to hosts Zimbabwe.

The next encounter saw the Queens take a set off Zambia despite falling 3-1, before also holding off Malawi to claim a 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, the Warriors found the going tough, losing their remaining round-robin matches in straight sets (3-0) to Zambia and Zimbabwe.

As only four countries were competing at the showpiece, Namibia were drawn against Malawi in both bronze-medal play-offs.

The Desert Queens took the first set 25-17 before Malawi responded to take the second 26-24.

However, Malawi could not keep up with the Namibian side, who ultimately took the remaining sets 25-18 and 25-22 to seal a 3-1 victory.

The Warriors then stormed to a straight-sets victory, proving too strong for Malawi in their second meeting.

Despite Malawi’s valiant first-set effort, which pushed the opener beyond the 25-point mark, the Warriors prevailed 34-32, 25-23, 25-22.

In the finals, Zimbabwe’s men’s team beat Zambia 3-2 to claim the men’s title, while Zambia’s women’s team swept hosts Zimbabwe in straight sets to win the women’s division.

The next round of Olympic qualifiers is expected to be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, later this year.

Confidence was key

Speaking to Sport Wrap after the teams’ podium finishes, Matheus could not hide his elation with the results.

“To be honest, I am satisfied. Even though I believe we could have done much better, I’m satisfied with how we built the momentum from the first game to the last,” he said.

Matheus noted that the slow start to the event reflected the country’s long absence from competing at that level of the international stage.

He said this caused the teams to play catch-up at the event, but noted that he was happy with how they eventually grew in confidence.

“I saw the players build confidence and improve [as the competition went on]. We just needed to build that confidence and belief for our team to perform and we would have probably reached the top of this tournament,” he noted.

Matheus said the two bronze medals are a huge achievement after the 20-year wait for international competition.

“Even when we competed 20 years ago, we didn’t achieve much on the international stage. The result of two bronze medals speaks for itself,” he noted.

‘Very talented players’

Matheus believes the introduction of younger and taller players into the national teams played a crucial role in the country’s achievement, complemented by the growing number of players in the sport.

“We have so many options to choose from now. Unlike in the past, where we probably had over 100 players across the country, we’re now looking at between 3 000 and 4 000 people, and a quarter of this group is very talented,” he remarked.

He further urged the nation and corporate world to believe in volleyball and back its players, saying its leadership structure has set a strong foundation for growth over the years.

“[The NVF] has done a great job in taking the sport to the community through association leagues and the MTC Volleyball National League, all while ensuring that young talent is nurtured,” he said.

Matheus expressed gratitude to the government’s sporting bodies and sponsors who supported their journey to one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“Volleyball is a sport that can also make an international mark if support is given,” he assured.

– mariud@nsh.com.na