Namibia’s netball levelling up on and off the court
The MTC Namibia Netball Premier League is embracing the challenge to transition to a professional establishment.
Starting next season, players are guaranteed paycheques for their craft while all league matches will be streamed live.
These are steps in the right direction, the organisers said during Friday’s launch. Exposure and incentives will encourage competition, which in turn improves the product and grows the country’s netball brand.
“This is exactly what we had in mind, exactly what we envisioned when we birthed the MTC Netball Premier League, which was to make sure, number one, that we have a strong competitive league and a strong national team that will go on and conquer the world,” said Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) spokesperson Tim Ekandjo who announced a N$2.9-million sponsorship for the upcoming season.
“We are pleased that we are well on our way to achieving these objectives and all thanks to Netball Namibia and its leadership and, of course, the government’s involvement.
“You will recall that when we started this Premier League, we made a commitment that we want this to become the very first fully professional league in Namibia. We have demonstrated this by our investment over the last five years,” Ekandjo continued.
“MTC and Netball Namibia will work towards a three-year professionalisation plan, which must be implemented immediately.
“It is our intention, and I underscore the word intention, madam president, to implement a minimum wage across the board, which will serve as a basic allowance or salary for every participating netball player starting next year.”
Acting Africa Netball president Rebekka Goagoses, who was Netball Namibia president when MTC came on board five seasons ago, says the sport has made significant strides in realising its ambitions and potential.
“The impact of this sponsorship has been nothing short of transformative. We have witnessed a tangible surge in the competitiveness of our league,” Goagoses said of how far the sport code has come.
“Teams are better equipped, players are motivated and every match is a thrilling spectacle of skills and determination.
“This heightened competition is a battle upon which national success is built. And indeed, look at how our national team is flourishing,” Goagoses noted.
“The consistent exposure to high level competition week after week has honed their skills, sharpened their strategic thinking and instilled a winning mentality. We are no longer just participants on the international stage, we are now contenders.
“This is further evidenced by the ever-expanding pool of talent we now have to draw for our national teams.”
The league will use its position to champion ‘Combating Against Gender-Based Violence’ when it gets underway at the end of May, says interim Netball Namibia president Juanitha Witbeen.
“We send a clear, unmistakable message using the powerful symbol of sport, specifically the graphic designs on our kits,” Witbeen says.
“This season, we wear purple ribbons, as a symbol of peace, courage, survival and honour. The colour purple represents the commitment to ending violence, and every time our athletes step onto the court, that ribbon will serve as a constant reminder of our collective dedication to creating a society where violence has no place,” she adds.
“As we embark on this season, let us not only cheer for victories in the game, but also for the victory we will achieve as a nation, victory over violence, victory for peace, and victory for every woman and girl in Namibia.
“It is more than a game, we are united on and off the court to stand against gender-based violence.”
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