馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Namibia's national volleyball teams return to international competition after 15-year absence
via The Namibian4 min read
Namibia's men's and women's national volleyball teams are set to compete internationally for the first time in approximately 15 years at the CAVB Zone VI Senior LA28 Olympic Games Qualifiers in Harare, Zimbabwe, from June 7 to 14. This tournament is a crucial step towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and signifies a major revival for the country's national volleyball program. According to Joel Matthews, Namibia Volleyball Federation NVF national team project head and head coach, the country has not had an active national volleyball team for over a decade, with its last international participation in 2014. The federation attributes this return to the progress made in developing regional leagues and the MTC Volleyball National League, which has expanded the talent pool. The men's squad includes experienced players like Simon Ekandjo and David Nashongo, while the women's side features Matheus Albertina and Naemi Amunyela. The qualifiers offer an opportunity for Namibia to assess its progress against strong southern African nations and pursue a spot in the next Olympic qualification stage. Matthews stated that preparations began on May 15, with the initial 18-player training squad reduced to a final 14 players for each team. The coaching staff has focused on player conditioning and integrating athletes from various clubs into a unified national team system. Despite the long absence, Namibia aims for a top-two finish to advance to the next qualification round. The federation
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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