NVF congress maps renewed vision

The Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) held its annual congress in Rundu, where leaders from eight associations gathered at Gaga Guesthouse to reflect on the federation’s progress and map the way forward for the remainder of the sporting year.

NVF president Tobias Mwatelulo welcomed the full attendance, saying it showed the associations’ commitment to strengthening the administration and future direction of volleyball in the country.

“As a federation, we always have ambitions to administer, promote and grow volleyball across the country. Our other objectives are to improve development, facilitate financial sustainability and ensure sound governance,” he said.

Mwatelulo said last week’s congress focused on the federation’s strategic vision, including where the sport currently stands, what has been achieved and what needs to be improved.

“We discussed shortcomings and how to improve them. We also looked at our financial models to see what the financial standing and stability of the federation are,” he said.

Leadership transitions

Mwatelulo said another key focus of the congress was leadership succession, with the federation looking at how office-bearers can prepare the next generation of administrators for future roles.

He said his own journey in volleyball, which included serving as chairperson of the Central Volleyball Association, had taught him the importance of passing on experience and creating smooth leadership transitions.

Mwatelulo said leaders must understand when their terms come to an end and should be willing to pass the baton without making transitions difficult.

“We don’t want difficult transitions. We want good and smooth handovers. So we need to plan to make this possible. As the saying goes, ‘people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.’ So this is us planning our leadership transitions,” he noted.

Bettering the sport

The congress was hosted by the Kavango Volleyball Association (KVA), under the leadership of chairperson Anna-Rosa Mupiri, who described it as a privilege to host this year’s national volleyball leadership discussions.

“[This is where] we shape volleyball in the country in terms of the constitution and administrative rules in an attempt to improve the current state of the sport, making it better and more advanced,” she said.

During the congress, mention was also made of a N$60 000 sponsorship towards a tournament in the Kavango region in November, with further details to be communicated by the federation at a later stage.

The NVF also used the congress to distribute equipment to its members, providing each association with two volleyballs to support development back in their respective regions.

The next congress is scheduled for 25 June next year.

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