Namibia returns to international volleyball 

Namibia’s men and women’s volleyball national teams are set to return to international competition for the first time in about 15 years when they compete at the CAVB Zone VI Senior LA28 Olympic Games Qualifiers in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 7 to 14 June.

The tournament forms part of the qualification pathway towards the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and marks a significant milestone in the revival of the country’s national volleyball programme.

According to Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) national team project head and head coach Joel Matthews, Namibia has not fielded an active national volleyball team for more than a decade, with the country’s last international participation dating back to 2014.

“Namibia did not have an active volleyball national team for the past 14 to 15 years. Since then, we focused on building capacity locally and growing the sport before returning to international competition,” Matthews says.

The federation believes the return to international competition is evidence of the progress made through the development of regional leagues and the MTC Volleyball National League, which has expanded the country’s talent pool and created greater competition for national team selection.

Now, after years of rebuilding, Namibia will test itself against some of southern Africa’s strongest volleyball nations as it seeks to qualify for the next stage of the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The men’s squad includes experienced campaigners such as Simon Ekandjo, David Nashongo, Teofelus Ndafenongo, Tulipuye Haipa, Patrick Matengu, Steven Kangandjera and Kamati Lazarus, while the women’s side features Matheus Albertina, Naemi Amunyela, Frieda Lindongo, Pombili Haimbodi, Rebekka Kandundu, Simonia Kanyumara and Ashley Kazumba.

The qualifiers present an opportunity for Namibia to measure its progress against established regional powers while pursuing a place in the next stage of the Olympic qualification process.

For many of the selected players, the tournament represents one of the biggest opportunities of their careers as they seek to represent Namibia on the international stage and help raise the profile of volleyball in the country.

The competition is expected to feature teams from across the Zone VI region, including hosts Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and South Africa.

Matthews says the tournament marks a historic moment for Namibian volleyball, as the country returns to international competition after an absence of about 15 years.

He says preparations began on 15 May, with an initial training squad of 18 players being reduced to the final travelling squad of 14 players for each team.

The coaching staff has focused on improving player conditioning and integrating athletes from different clubs into a unified national team system, Matthews says.

“We’re looking at game conditioning and ensuring the players can respond to the demands of the game. We’ve also spent a lot of time building systems because the players come from different clubs and backgrounds and need to understand how we want to play as a team,” he says.

The teams are currently concluding their preparations with a series of friendly matches aimed at testing the systems and combinations developed during training camp.

Despite the long absence from international competition, Matthews says Namibia will travel to Harare with ambitions of reaching the next stage of qualification.

“We’re going to compete and it is our wish to achieve a top-two finish, which would qualify us for the next round of qualification. There is pressure because we’ve spent years building capacity locally, and now we hope that capacity has grown and that the players we have selected will do the job,” he says.

Matthews the federation has deliberately selected a blend of experienced and younger players as part of a long-term vision for the national teams.

‘TEAM FOR THE FUTURE’

“We’re not only looking at a national team for today. We are looking at a national team for the future. We need these players to grow within the national team structure so we can build a stronger future for volleyball in Namibia,” he says.

Matthews believes the selection process itself demonstrates the growth of volleyball in Namibia, particularly since the introduction of structured competitions such as the MTC Volleyball National League.

“The pool of players has grown significantly. In the past, it was easier to identify the best players because the sport was much smaller. Now, there is competition for places, and making selections has become much more difficult because there is talent across the country,” he says.

Matthews says the return of the national teams is expected to inspire more young players to pursue the sport and compete for future national team opportunities.

“We expect the competition for places in the national team to increase because players now know there is a pathway to represent Namibia internationally. That can only be positive for the growth of volleyball in the country,” he says.

The teams are expected to depart for Zimbabwe on 6 June, with competition getting underway on 8 June and concluding on 13 June before the squads return home the following day.

The federation hopes the campaign will provide valuable international exposure for both teams while accelerating the development of volleyball in Namibia.

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