Volleyball Action at the Coast

The third edition of the Nedbank Volley 1st Tournament took place at the Swakopmund Mole for the first time this year and saw nine teams competing in the competition.

The tournament, which concluded on Saturday, was also the prelude to the Swakopmund Mole Beach Volleyball two-a-side tournament, which was set to conclude on Monday afternoon.

Conrad Johannes, the tournament director, explained that it was a great day for social volleyball. The Volley 1st Tournament created a space for corporates or individuals to compete against each other socially.

“This year, we have nine social teams that have played in this tournament, and maybe next time it happens, I'm sure we'll get a few more. It’s been a great day, and thank you to Nedbank for supporting this event and Connect People to People for putting it together,” he said.

Gernot de Klerk, Nedbank’s Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing, explained that the bank has always maintained a deep involvement in the communities that serve them as much as they are in service to those communities.

“The plan has always been to take volleyball up north. We know it's a very popular sport. This year, it panned out such that the timing and seasonal changes made it impossible to host it towards the end of the year. Then the thought was, we're here for the Nedbank Desert Dash, and we’ll be here at the end of the month for the Nedbank Desert Classic. Why not bring the Nedbank Volley First Tournament to Swakopmund? That's exactly what we've witnessed. I think the vibe at the coast is special, especially this time of the year,” he said.

He added that their plan is to bring it back to the coast again next year.

“The vibe has just been great. We’ve had the local leadership share the same sentiments. If all goes well, we’ll be back again next year,” De Klerk said.

He further noted, “Whatever we do, we do so because we have the support of very loyal clients throughout over 50 years of our existence in Namibia. We cannot thank them enough for their support. As we wind down the year of activities, it has been an intense year for all of us. But that loyal support, I tell you, is one that we deeply treasure and never take for granted. So to everybody, have a safe festive period. Get back home safe. Enjoy the time and the convivial atmosphere with your loved ones.”

The results from the social tournament are as follows: Team Gwakondo clinched first place, followed by Team Make My Day in second, Team Black Juice in third place, and Team Das Mannschaft in fourth place.