Krafft brothers claim second Zone Six bronze

Namibia’s Jura (17) and Max (19) Krafft once again impressed on home sand, clinching bronze at the opening leg of the Zone Six Beach Volleyball Tour in Windhoek on Sunday.

The Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) event returned to the Deutscher Turn und Sportverein (DTS) Beach Volleyball Arena, which also hosted the tour in 2024.

The first leg of the season was organised by the Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF), with DTS as the main sponsor. A total of nine Zone Six countries and 40 teams competed in the men’s (24) and women’s (16) sections for valuable International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) ranking points.

Namibia fielded 20 teams, while Zambia and South Africa entered four teams each. Zimbabwe and Lesotho had three teams apiece, Eswatini and Botswana two each, and Malawi and Angola one each. Mozambique expressed interest but could not field a team.

Road to bronze

The Krafft brothers were drawn in Pool A alongside Angola’s Eduardo Afonso and Carlos Muondo, as well as fellow Namibians Leander Müller and Tilo Gallert.

They opened their campaign with a narrow 2-1 defeat to the Angolan pair before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Müller and Gallert to advance to the round of 16.

In the knockout stages, they edged past compatriots Jan Erik Sack and Marcel Diekmann 2-1, before claiming a dominant straight-sets (2-0) quarter-final victory over twins Daniel and Fabian Pfeifer.

Their semi-final was a rematch against Afonso and Muondo. This time, the Angolans prevailed in straight sets, sending the Namibians into the bronze medal match.

The Krafft brothers responded emphatically, securing a straight-sets win over Zimbabwe’s Kudakwashe Mahachi and Panache Chiguta to seal their second Zone Six bronze.

‘Strongest competition so far’

Reflecting on the result, Max described the tournament as their toughest test yet.

“[My first time making a podium finish at the] Zone Six Tour was in Windhoek in 2024 [alongside partner Luca Kesselmann] and then again in Maputo with Jura last year.

“This level of competition was the strongest we’ve faced so far, and I am very proud to represent my country alongside my brother Jura,” he said.

For Jura, the medal carried added meaning: “Winning this medal at home, in front of our supporters, makes it very special.”

He further thanked the sports ministry, Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), Namibia Sport Commission (NSC), NVF and event organisers for their support.

Eyes on Olympic qualification

Max highlighted their defensive coordination and transition play as key strengths, saying their composure under pressure contributed to their podium finish.

Jura echoed those sentiments, noting that their on-court chemistry allowed them to control rallies and create scoring opportunities.

The pair confirmed they will compete in the remaining legs of the tour as part of a structured training and competition plan aimed at qualifying for the African Championships once again.

“Our objective is to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, and results like this confirm we are moving in the right direction,” said Max.

The Krafft brothers are Africa’s reigning U21 champions following their gold medal at last year’s CAVB Continental U21 Championships in Morocco.

Other results

South Africa’s Danilo von Ludwiger and Mthokozisi Mndingi claimed gold in the men’s section, with Angola’s Afonso and Muondo taking silver.

Namibia missed out on a podium finish in the women’s section, where Harris Lameesh and Albertina Matthew were the top-performing Namibian pair in fifth place.

Lesotho’s Moroesi Tolofi and Neo Chapole won gold, Zambia’s Matildah Bwalya and Beene Matongo secured silver, while Zimbabwe’s Anna Moroca and Chantal Mutende claimed bronze.

Tour continues

The opening ceremony was attended by sports minister Sanet Steenkamp, NSC chief administrator Freddy Mwiya, NNOC president Ndeulipula Hamutumwa and NNOC chief executive officer Anri Parker, as well as Botswana’s high commissioner to Namibia, Philip Khwae.

NVF president Tobias Mwatelulo thanked DTS for covering the hosting costs and confirmed that the fifth and final leg will return to Namibia in Swakopmund from 25 to 27 September.

The next legs are scheduled for Maputo, Mozambique, from 13 to 15 March, 1 to 3 May and 7 to 9 August.

In her opening remarks, CAVB Zone Six representative Mpho Palime expressed appreciation to the Namibian government for its support in hosting the event and called on governments to increase investment in sport development.

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