Copyright namibian
Women’s cricket in Namibia received a boost last week when more than 200 aspiring young players attended the Capricorn Eagles’ talent identification roadshow. Several members of the senior national women’s team, the Capricorn Eagles joined the tour to Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, while each stop was filled with excitement and energy as the young girls flocked to meet their national heroes. Cricket Namibia spokesperson Natalia Nauyoma says it was a huge success. “The national players received a great reception, especially at the Walvis Bay Cricket Hub. The children were waiting for them and just wanted to be around the national players. It was very heartwarming to see,” she says. According to Nauyoma, the roadshow focused on cricket fundamentals, mentorship and practical demonstrations, while creating a platform for aspiring players to showcase their potential and assist the Capricorn Eagles’ mission to strengthen the women’s cricket pipeline in Namibia. In a press release issued by Cricket Namibia, Capricorn Eagles captain Sune Wittmann expresses her pride in the initiative. “Our roadshow was special, and we’re incredibly proud to be part of it. Twelve of our contracted players attended, and we truly wanted to be there. It was amazing to see how many girls are interested in the game. “It really touched us to see the passion these young girls have for cricket. We want to show them that there is a future in this sport, that they can build a career and a life around what they love,” she says. Wittmann also highlights the emotional impact of returning to Kuisebmund Hub, a community that has produced many of the current national players. “It was amazing to spend the day at the hub with the girls. You can see they find peace and happiness there, and it keeps them focused and off the streets. Seeing the excitement and commitment from these young girls was truly heartwarming. “It gives us comfort knowing the future of women’s cricket in Namibia will be in passionate and capable hands.” The Capricorn Eagles say this roadshow is only the beginning. The team plans to extend the initiative to the far north and far south of Namibia, ensuring no talent remains undiscovered. Capricorn Eagles coach Francois van der Merwe says a cricketing culture is taking hold in Namibia. “It’s exciting times for Namibian cricket now if you look at the national men’s team’s recent success against the South African Proteas, and the inauguration of our new stadium. “I think there’s a cricket culture taking hold in Namibia, and a lot of youngsters are getting involved in cricket now,” he says. “We went to two developments hubs at Walvis Bay and Outjo, as well as Swakopmund and Otjiwarongo, and about 220 girls attended the clinics. They were very eager, but now it’s up to us to develop them further and upskill more coaches,” he says. The Capricorn Eagles, meanwhile, are hard at work, preparing for the final T20 World Cup Qualifier in January next year, while they have also been invited to compete at two tournaments in Thailand next year. “We’ve been invited to a quadrangular tournament in Bangkok, Thailand in mid-November where we will compete against the hosts, Scotland and Papua New Guinea. Directly after that we will compete in the eight-nation Emerging Trophy tournament along with the above mentioned teams, as well as UAE, Netherlands, Uganda and Tanzania,” Van der Merwe says. The 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup qualifier will be held in Nepal in January and February next year, where the top four teams will progress to the 2026 T20 World Cup. Ten teams will compete in two groups of five with Namibia competing in group B, along with Nepal, The Netherlands, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea. Group A consists of Thailand, Scotland, Ireland, United States and Zimbabwe.
