The Debmarine Desert Jewels will return to Namibia today after completing a five-match campaign at the SPAR Netball Challenge in Cape Town, South Africa, where they used the tournament as part of their preparations for the upcoming Africa Netball Cup.
Namibia was invited to compete in the challenge as the national side steps up preparations for the Africa Netball Cup, to be hosted in Kenya in September.
The tournament provided the Desert Jewels with valuable international match exposure and an opportunity for the technical team to assess combinations ahead of the continental competition.
The Namibian side recorded three victories, one draw and one defeat from their five matches.
The Desert Jewels opened their campaign with a 44-44 draw against Johannesburg A, then delivered a strong performance in their second match, defeating Alfred Nzo 54-21.
Namibia then suffered its only defeat of the campaign, losing 54-50 to Tshwane A in a closely contested encounter.
The Desert Jewels bounced back strongly in their fourth match, defeating Botswana 49-43, before ending their campaign on a positive note with another victory over Botswana, this time winning 48-42. Head coach Julene Meyer said before the tournament began that the focus was not only on results but also on giving the entire squad an opportunity to gain valuable experience.
Meyer said the team travelled with a squad of 18 players and planned to rotate the squad throughout the competition to test different combinations under pressure.
The tournament therefore served as an important selection and preparation exercise, allowing the coaching staff to assess players in competitive situations while also developing combinations that could be used at the Africa Netball Cup.
Desert Jewels captain Mwale Mulenamaswe described the opportunity to compete in the SPAR Netball Challenge as valuable for the team.
She said the matches gave the players the chance to continue developing as a unit while gaining experience against different opposition.
The captain added that the team remained focused on improving with every match as they build towards the Africa Netball Cup.
With three wins, a draw and one loss from their five matches, the Desert Jewels leave Cape Town with positive momentum and several lessons to carry into their preparations for the continental tournament in September.
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