Who made Namibia’s LA2028 dream possible?
Until two weeks ago, Namibia’s volleyball ambitions of competing in the Olympic Games Qualifiers were clouded by uncertainty, with the teams hampered by funding challenges and the absence of enough sponsors to cover the trip to Zimbabwe.
The national men’s team, the Desert Warriors, and the women’s team, the Desert Queens, had spent weeks in camp preparing for one of the biggest stages in the sport, even though their environment was far from ideal.
Limited resources forced the Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) technical team to have players train from home instead of staying in a centralised camp to cut costs. Despite the delays this caused, the teams did not waver.
NVF president Tobias Mwatelulo confirmed that the federation kept hope alive until the eleventh hour as it prepared for the country’s return to international volleyball after a nearly two-decade wait.
The financial strain around the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone Six Senior Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games Qualifiers was felt across the zone.
Six of the 10 countries initially expected to participate withdrew due to financial constraints.
Teams’ lifeline
One of the teams' funding lifelines came from the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC).
NNOC, through the Olympic Solidarity Programme, facilitated a grant of more than N$800 000 from 2026 to 2028, with more than N$200 000 made available for this year, including teams’ kits.
The Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) provided transport, including fuel, and N$60 000. Momentum Metropolitan, through head of marketing Denille Roostee, gave N$54 937 in “less than 30 minutes after a phone call”.
KL Construction, through managing director Achim Lück, gave N$35 000 and goodies to the teams. Cospharm Namibia, through directors’ administrator Chiara Swartbooi, provided medical supplies.
National head coach Joel Matheus also dug into his own pocket to provide N$21 000 for the teams, while Namibia Dairies provided 40 litres of Oshitaka milk.
The contributions made the teams’ dream of a shot at the Olympics a reality and yielded dividends when both teams won bronze medals at the tournament.
They, however, did not qualify for the next round of qualifiers, set for the Democratic Republic of the Congo later this year, as only the top two teams (Zimbabwe and Zambia) from both divisions qualified.
Mwatelulo confirmed upon the teams’ arrival on Monday that Namibia’s participation gave the country CAVB recognition and moved it up to third in the Zone Six rankings.
“We can now say Namibia is on the ranking list. And when the sports commission is doing categorising, we can now be considered [as an established sport code with national teams],” he said.
Mwatelulo admitted the teams could not have made the trip without funding and extended gratitude to “potential sponsors” for making the journey possible.
“I am saying potential sponsors because we have a long way to go with them.
“We want to extend gratitude to the Zimbabwe Volleyball Association for hosting us and [for stepping up to the plate to foot the hosting expenses]. We are planning on inviting them and Zambia for friendly matches in future [to acquire more experience],” he said.
Mwatelulo also thanked the drivers who put up with the teams and ensured they travelled to Zimbabwe and back safely.
Players’ sacrifices acknowledged
NSC acting chief administrator Christophina Hangalo, who is standing in for chief administrator Freddy Mwiya while he is on international duty, said the teams have inspired young athletes across the country.
“You’ve shown that perseverance yields results. We acknowledge the sacrifices made by the players, coaching staff and families in supporting this journey. We also commend the NVF for its continued effort in developing and promoting the sport,” she said.
Mwiya also video-called to congratulate the players.
The national head coach admitted the journey was not without challenges, which ultimately contributed to the teams’ slow start at the tournament, as players had to battle fatigue after a demanding trip.
Matheus said the players spent more than 40 hours on the bus and had less than nine hours to recover before getting on court, where they were still expected to compete at full intensity.
“This is an issue the government needs to look into if they want to see teams performing better. We have to come together and see how best we can support the team with [a conducive] environment to compete,” he said.
Matheus also pushed back against negative comments directed at the teams on social media while the players were in Harare, saying the nation should rally behind the players because, without positivity and support, they cannot perform.
“I told my players to stay off social media, [as negativity can affect their confidence, mindset and performance]. We must avoid being very negative,” he cautioned.
Aiming for gold
He further applauded his technical team and support staff, noting that without their input, he could not have pulled off the feat. He also thanked the players for their focus and for leaving everything on the court.
“We want to make volleyball the number one sport in the country. We’re aiming for a national team gold medal in the next three years.
“We’re backed by strong international relations, as two of our coaches, Tobias Naushanga and Fillemon Amupadhi, officiated the men’s final between Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he said.
Amupadhi and Naushanga are FIVB International Referee Candidates (IRCC).
Reflecting on the achievement, Desert Queens captain Frieda Iindongo said her transition from netball to volleyball is part of a calling left by her late father, who taught her to guide and uplift those around her.
“This responsibility, which began with taking care of my siblings, who are now older, extends to the national team of more junior players. I have now realised these are the children my father told me to take care of before he passed in 2023,” she remarked.
Desert Warriors captain Messah Kambala expressed pride in the opportunity to lead the team to a bronze medal and deliver on their promise to the nation before they left.
“We’ve performed to the best of our abilities,” he said.
Kambala urged the next generation of players to build on the achievement by pushing for silver or gold in future competitions.
