Netball Namibia (NN) vice-president, Rebecca Goagoses, says the 2022 MTC Netball Namibia Premier League (NNPL) has been highly competitive.

Speaking to Nampa on Thursday, Goagoses said compared to last season, the teams really showed a lot of improvement, with the top five teams for the two seasons having changed drastically.

“We are looking forward to completing the matches on Saturday and hosting a successful awards ceremony. We are also looking forward to the four new teams who will be joining the top flight,” she said.

Goagoses said last season, the teams were a bit careful and did not give 100 per cent, possibly because it was the inception of the top flight league.

She added that they are looking forward to next season and are hoping that their sole sponsors, MTC, will be renewing the sponsorship deal with them as next year will be the final year of the sponsorship deal with the telecommunications giant.

“We will definitely approach them and we hope they relook us as netball and consider renewing,” she told Nampa.

Meanwhile, on the field of play, Mighty Gunners were crowned champions last weekend after winning their three matches against Tigers (47-41), Namibian Navy (50-38) and Rebels Netball Club (45-28).

They have 42 points, with Navy a distant second on 34 points and defending champions Namibia Correctional Services third with 33 points.

Last year’s runners up, Tigers, are fourth with 30 points.

Mighty Gunners will look to complete the season without losing a single match by beating NCS in the last match of the day on Saturday at the Patrick Iyambo College Netball Courts.

Other important fixtures of the day will see Young Stars and Eleven Arrows attempting to avoid joining the already relegated Northern Fly Ballers, Grootfontein and Blue Waters by winning their last two matches of the season.

For winning the league, Gunners will pocket N.dollars 120 000, with the runners up getting N.dollars 80 000 and third-placed team, N.dollars 60 000.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency