Kavango East Triumphs Over Khomas to Reclaim Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup
By TUW
Kavango East have successfully defended their Netball Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup title, winning it back-to-back after defeating Khomas Region 35–28 in the 2026 final. The victory confirms the region’s continued dominance, having consistently reached the latter stages of the tournament in recent years.
However, despite this remarkable achievement, the announcement of the Regional 5 Training Squad has triggered concern and debate over player selection and regional representation.
According to the official squad list, Khomas Region secured the majority of player selections, while Kavango East the reigning champions managed to have only one player included. In addition, no players were selected from Kavango West, Zambezi, Oshana, and Omaheke regions.
This has raised questions among supporters and stakeholders, particularly in Kavango East, where expectations were high following another strong performance and title-winning campaign. The region has been one of the most consistent teams in the competition, making its limited representation a point of frustration.
Many are now calling for improvements in the selection process, emphasizing the need for fairness, transparency, and merit-based criteria. Concerns around favoritism and unequal opportunities continue to be highlighted as issues that may hinder the development of netball in Namibia.
As the selected squad prepares to represent the country at international level, there is growing pressure on authorities to ensure that future selections better reflect performance and give equal recognition to talent across all regions.
