The All Namibia Netball Association (ANNA) announced a team of 12 players who will represent the country at the African Qualifiers due to be held in Pretoria, South Africa from 5-9 September.
The President of ANNA, Lydia Kandetu, said that Namibia would join seven other countries at the qualifiers.
“Namibia will participate with seven other countries for only two spots in the World Netball Championships,” Kandetu said.
The countries that will finish first and second will join Malawi to represent Africa at the World Netball Championships in Singapore from 3-19 July next year. Malawi qualified because they are currently fifth in the world rankings and the top ranked five nations including the host get automatic qualifications.
The other top ranked nations with automatic qualifications are, Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica.
National trials were held in June and a training squad of 23 players was selected and South African Francois Nel trained the players.
“Four training camps were held and the final 12 national players were selected during one of the training camps on 21 August,” Kandetu said.
“We have confidence that they will demonstrate the strength that will bring back Namibia as a major player in netball,” Kandetu added.
The other countries that will participate in the qualifiers are, hosts South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Uganda.
Namibia is in the same pool with Swaziland, Botswana and Uganda will play their first match Monday 6 September against Swaziland in the 08h30. On the same day they will face Uganda at 16h00. The next day they will play their last pool match against Botswana at 12h00.
The top two of the two pools will advance to the Gold Pool and will have another opportunity to advance to the World Championships.
Dalene Coetzee, the Secretary General of ANNA, was optimistic about Namibia’s chances at the qualifiers.
“We are well prepared to participate and have very experienced players so we should be able to do very well,” Coetzee said.
“We have Vivienne Katjiuongua, Hilma Ipinge and Wency Katjitaka who are very experienced. Hilma, who is also the captain participated in the 1995 World Cup in England and Wency played last year for the South African Invitational Team we played against in Tanzania,” Coetzee added.
“I am very convinced that this team is ready and they know what is expected of them,” she concluded.
Namibia will be coached by Francois Nel who will be assisted by Marcha Myburgh and will be accompanied by Cecilly Hanse with Elvira Peterson as the manager and head of delegation.
One of the players, Vivienne Katjiuongua said that the team was aiming to be one of the two to qualify to go to Singapore.
“We are going there with the main aim of becoming one of the two teams that will go to the World Championships in Singapore.”
The team will consist of the following players: Chanique Ras, Vivienne Katjiuongua, Hilma Ipinge, Anna Kasper, Jatjinda Kambatuku, Menethe Muvangua, Yvonne Katjopati, Augusta Sethi, Ehenfriede Uhongora, Eveline Sikoka, Mua Tjitekepera and Wency Katjitaka.