Tjivera clinches another title
• By Michael Uugwanga
THE ability to make his Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) team to play the best netball in the recently ended MTC Namibian Netball Premier League (NNPL) of which they went on to win the title last Saturday makes Manuel ‘Mansie’ Tjivera the best netball coach in the last 10 years.
NCS played out to a 30-30 draw against arch-rivals Tigers in a tense final netball match at the United Netball Courts in the capital, which was enough to land the club the first MTC NNPL title, which is also Tjivera’s sixth title as coach of NCS and University of Namibia (UNAM) netball club.
NCS received prize money amounting to N$40 000 for winning the league plus a trophy and winning medals.
Back when he joined UNAM netball club coaching staff as a gaffer, Tjivera developed many young players and brought a winning culture to the club when the team was still in the lower division before it was promoted to the Khomas Region Netball League in 2014.
UNAM then went on to win five successive Khomas Netball League titles from 2014 until 2018.
That UNAM side was at the time the best team that comprised of top international players such as Diana Tjejemba (now in Scotland), Uahengisa Tjozongoro, Dorkas Tjipetekera, Cherlyn Muzee, Vandji Katjaimo and Auguste Sethie.
However, in his final season in 2019 as UNAM coach, he lost the title to Wanderers Netball Club.
Tjivera’s first coaching job was in 1995 as coach of Jan Jonker Afrikaner Secondary School in Windhoek, when he led them to the NSSU U-19 school league title, while Jan Jonker Afrikaner Secondary School also became the first Katutura School to beat Windhoek High School.
In 2017, he led the Debmarine Desert Jewels to a third place finish at the Debmarine Pent series before leading them to gold at the 2018 series.
“Surely I can say this with confidence that I am the best (netball) coach in the country.
It is always an honour to coach NCS as it just shows you how good I am. I have proven myself at UNAM and with the national team. I am planning to attend a netball workshop in South Africa at the end of this month, because the course is aimed at teaching one how to prepare a team for pre-season,” said Tjivera.
Meanwhile, the netball sponsorship of three years has jumped from N$1.4 million to N$1.9 million, meaning monthly grants are also expected to rise from N$60 000 to N$100 000, which could also see each player pocketing between N$4 000 and N$8 000 per month.
Next year prize money will be increased to a whopping N0 000 for the winners, while second placed team will get N0 000 and third placed team N0 000.
These developments were announced by MTC spokesperson Tim Ekandjo at the final rounds of matches.
“This means that I have to do more as a coach. It is going to be very tough next season because of the money that will be at stake,” said Tjivera.