Desert Jewels Eye Commonwealth Games Berth [New Era] Fresh off their historic victory at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Netball Cup, Namibia's Debmarine Desert Jewels are now setting their sights on qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

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Meyer to scout talent at upcoming Region 5 Games  Winning netball coach Julene Meyer is upbeat about Namibia’s international run and will use the AUSC Region 5 Games to scout more talent for the Debmarine Desert Jewels. The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games kicks off early next month in Windhoek and Swakopmund. Speaking to Desert FM, the UAE Netball Cup winning coach said she is always interested in the new, young talent Namibia has on offer. “I am looking forward to the AUSC Region 5 Games to see what’s happening at the under-19 level.” “They will be the game changers stepping up and we are into that. If they are good enough, we will enter them into the programme,” said Meyer. She said, normally, it takes about six months of training with the national senior technical team before the players have the necessary foundation. Meyer gave credit to the new talent that was introduced in Dubai, adding that it took about 14 months before they were properly ready, and they have, without a doubt, executed instructions in Dubai very well. “We will do whatever it takes to get new talent and players. We will not throw them into the deep end but will give them confidence and develop them fully.” “We will definitely want to go back in 2026 and defend our title in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It’s a wonderful place to go and play, the host nation was fantastic and it’s a good competition,” she stressed. “I am looking at putting the tournament on the annual calendar to take our youngsters out to expose them and get them used to performance level on the international stage.” She said lessons learned from the UAE Netball Cup is to optimise their own style, like being consistent and having some level of intensity. “I am happy that we made enough points to break into the top 15 ranking, that will be wonderful. The ranking update will hopefully be made public later this week.” The post Meyer to scout talent at upcoming Region 5 Games  appeared first on The Namibian.

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Homecoming cheers for UAE Cup winners Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Debmarine Desert Jewels on Sunday received a warm welcome back home at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.  The national netball team won the inaugural United Arab Emirates (UAE) Netball Tournament after defeating Singapore 62–53 in the final on Saturday. The tournament, held in Singapore from 15 to 21 June 2025, saw Namibia dominate the group stage.  They beat Kenya 41–33, the UAE 69–48, and the Republic of Ireland 57–38, while drawing 49–49 in an earlier match against Singapore. Following the draw, team captain Anna Kasper called on the nation to back the team.  “To the fans, I just want to say thank you for the support. Keep supporting us. Keep believing in us because we are going to take the cup home,” she said. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah congratulated the team, saying their victory brought pride to the nation.  She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to professionalising sports and noted that the 2025/26 national budget prioritises investments in sports infrastructure. “Indeed, the victory of the national women’s netball team is a step in the right direction for sports in our country. I reassure our champions that they have made the nation proud,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah. Team coach Julene Meyer thanked all supporters and sponsors, especially Debmarine, for making the trip possible.  “It was a good tournament for us. There is still a lot of hard work ahead, but I am very happy with this young team and the way they carried themselves,” she said. Netball Namibia vice-president Conny Samaria presented a portrait of the team to Debmarine CEO Willy Martens as a gesture of appreciation.  “I have been in netball for 20 years, and for the first time I have seen a congratulatory message from the head of state, and it’s all because of you girls,” said Samaria. Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) chief administrator Freddy Mwiya said the team’s success reflects progress in the government’s goal of professionalising netball.  “Namibia’s world ranking is also improving because they are accumulating points by playing in these types of tournaments,” he said.

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Desert Jewels Clinch Victories Over Opponents [Namibian] Desert Jewels continue with their convincing display of talent at the ongoing 2025 Dubai Netball Tournament after beating fellow African counterpart Kenya and host nation UAE in their two opening matches.

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Desert Jewels captain vows to win the UAE Cup Erasmus Shalihaxwe National netball team captain Anna Kasper has promised fans they will win and bring the United Arab Emirates Netball Cup home. Kasper made the commitment on Tuesday after Namibia drew 49-49 against Singapore Vandas in their second match of the tournament. Namibia had won their opening game 69-48 against Kenya.  Their third match is scheduled for today against Ireland, followed by their final group match against the United States of America on Saturday. Speaking after the draw with Singapore, Kasper said the team didn’t expect such a strong performance from their opponents but took valuable lessons from the game. “It is not the result we wanted, but yes… the other team also came prepared, and we will put this result behind and focus on the next game. With regards to Thursday’s game, we will focus on winning it by playing to our style,” said Kasper. She said the team aims to improve with each match and is focused on reaching the final and winning the tournament. Kasper thanked Namibian netball fans for their continued support, especially those watching the matches live on YouTube. “To the fans, I just want to say thank you, guys, for the support. Keep supporting us. Keep believing in us because we are going to take the cup home,” said Kasper. She added that fan support helps boost the team’s confidence and performance on the court.

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Desert Jewels, Singapore Locked in Thrilling Draw [New Era] An intense, physical and tightly contested encounter had spectators on the edge of their seats as Namibia's Desert Jewels battled to a dramatic 49-49 draw against Singapore in their third match of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Netball Cup.

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Desert Jewels, Singapore locked in thrilling draw - New Era Namibia Desert Jewels, Singapore locked in thrilling draw  New Era Namibia

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Desert Jewels clinch victories over opponents   Desert Jewels continue with their convincing display of talent at the ongoing 2025 Dubai Netball Tournament after beating fellow African counterpart Kenya and host nation UAE in their two opening matches. The star-studded Debmarine Desert Jewels hammered Kenya affectionately known as ‘Morans’ in their opening match by 41-33 and in their second match went on to humiliate host nation United Arab Emirates known as ‘UAE Falcons’ 69-48 respectively. Responding to questions from The Namibian sport, Debmarine Desert Jewels head coach Julene Meyers said about their match against UAE that they had a good game and that their start was good. “We are still working on improving our consistency and were not entirely happy with the send and third quarter against UAE, in those our performance lacked consistency and converting possession into goals but we will keep trying and striving for improvement.” “I am very happy about the way our impact players came off the bench to switch into a higher gear into the final quarter and close the game out for us. UAE is a good team with a number of their players playing in the English super league with excellent systems and structures, they have  a lot of speed and skill to compliment their systems and I think the big difference was in our game changers coming into the game and lifting the intensity and the clinical execution with which they took control of the game,” said Meyers. “As for our opening match against Kenya, we were already busy with our pre-match procedures. Starting a campaign against a fellow African nation is always a challenge.” “There will always be a bit of extra competition and zest in a clash like that. They are a team with good momentum, excellent coaches and have a difficult playing style to counter. The East African style is also very physical and aggressive and I was just grateful we came through on the winning side.” Meyers said the team arrived in UAE with no problems and that the mood in the camp is positive and players are excited to benchmark themselves against the competition Meyers said that they are as the technical team excited and thrilled to celebrate Melitha Hunga’s incredible debut with the Debmarine Desert Jewels in the 2025 UAE Netball Cup in Dubai. “As the goal defender, Hunga showcased her exceptional skills and determination in her first international match, contributing to Namibia’s victorious game against Kenya.This achievement marks the beginning of a promising international career for her, and we couldn’t be prouder!  The Debmarine Desert Jewels tomorrow will play The Republic of Ireland better known as ‘The Emeralds’ while their final match on Friday is against the United States of America (USA) nicknamed ‘Flying Eagles’. On Tuesday Namibia drew their third match 49-49 against Singapore.  The post Desert Jewels clinch victories over opponents   appeared first on The Namibian.

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Desert Jewels poised for UAE Netball Cup  Blended with experience and young talent, Namibia’s Desert Jewels head coach, Julene Meyer, says the senior national side is super fit and dedicated to lifting trophy at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Netball Cup 2025 in Dubai. The Desert Jewels alongside Kenya are the two African nations set to compete against some of the world’s top netball nations. The senior national netball team paid a courtesy call to the Namibia Sports Commission head office for an official sending off by the commission’s chief administrator, Freddy Mwiya, yesterday. The much-focused netball side departs for Dubai tomorrow, and will have a light training session on Saturday before taking on Kenya in their opening match on Sunday evening. Speaking to Desert FM last week, Meyer said they kicked off with preparation last week Wednesday and the players are doing very well. “The girls are working very hard and are looking very good. We are extremely excited for the opportunity. We will go up against Singapore, the Republic of Ireland, the United States (US), UAE and Kenya. “Those are five of the world’s top ranking nations. I am expecting us to do very well. We have got a fantastic bunch of new players and we will introduce four of our national under 21 players. “They will debut in Dubai. This time we are not just looking to win the tournament but I am actually looking to take some of those young players and give them the exposure.” She said throwing them (young players) into the deep end so they can swim will ready them for bigger competitions. “That is why we are taking such a strong blend of exposure and youth so that we can prepare them for the bigger stage,” Meyer stressed. She said they initially called 18 talented players in January to give them a four-month lead into the training camp. “They have worked very hard and we worked with the MTC NN Premier League coaches and shared with them the national training programme.” She said players are better conditioned and better prepared and that this time around they will take the strongest best conditioned players. “We have a very strong team that we are taking and we are excited and looking forward to the UAE netball cup. It is going to be incredibly important and currently we are a point away from entering into the top 15 world ranking. “If we win this tournament, I am hoping that we break into the top 15. We have another participation scheduled later in November, and hopefully breakthrough into the top 12 world ranking, meaning the team will qualify for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland next year.” she said. Following the official opening ceremony on Sunday, host UAE will have their opening match against the US, followed by a match between Ireland and Singapore with the final match on Sunday featuring the Desert Jewels against Kenya. On Monday, the Desert Jewels will take on the host nation UAE, and play Singapore on Tuesday. They later in the tournament play Ireland, and in their final encounter take on the US. The tournament format will see the competing team completing a round robin play. At the conclusion of the round robin, teams will be ranked according to the points. The post Desert Jewels poised for UAE Netball Cup  appeared first on The Namibian.

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