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.