Netball Namibia (NN) said the senior team and the Under-19 team are ready for their tour to Malawi for the Tri-Nations Championship of the Confederation of Southern African Netball Associations (COSANA) in June this year.

Speaking during a sponsorship handover and team send-off at the Namibia Sports Commission, NN General Secretary, Imelda Nerongo, said preparations went well despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 situation in Namibia.

“The numbers are currently running high right now and there are chances some players may test positive, but we do have mitigating measures to counter that possibility. The players have been isolating since Monday,” she said.

The team will play Malawi and Zimbabwe in preparation for the 2023 World Cup Africa Qualifiers scheduled for Cape Town, South Africa from the 21 to 27 August.

The same city will host the World Cup in 2023.

Nerongo said as a board, they have been on this journey since 2014, which has given them many years of planning and preparation.

“Unfortunately, this year we only have this tour as preparation for the qualifiers, but we believe that the exposure the girls have will allow them to qualify for the World Cup. The under-19 team is preparing for the Region 19 Games in Malawi, hence we decided to include them in this tour,” she said.

Nerongo said more funding will allow them to prepare the teams better by keeping them in training camps more often.

Meanwhile, Debmarine took the opportunity to unveil N.dollars 3.2 million to NN for the preparations of the world cup qualifiers and other matches.

Debmarine Communications Manager, Stella Ipinge, said their association with NN for the past five years has seen the team improve.

“We are committed to standing with women and girls as evidenced by our commitment to NN. Our investment is to make life brilliant to the Namibian girl through our commitment to ensuring that every diamond we discover, creates a lasting positive impact,” she said.

Meanwhile, NSC Acting Chief Administrator, Freddy Mwiya, commended Debmarine Namibia for taking care of NN during the tough financial years, saying more corporates must follow suit.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency