Windhoek High School (WHS) retained the Capricorn Schools Netball u19 Super League title after a stunning come-from-behind 27-26 victory against Windhoek Gymnasium on Saturday.
Playing on their home court at Kleine Kuppe, Windhoek Gymnasium started on the offensive, taking a 10-5 lead by the end of the first quarter and when they went 17-9 at half-time, it seemed they would win the title for the first time since 2022.
WHS, however, had other plans as they produced a stunning comeback. Roared on by their fans in a capacity crowd, they narrowed the deficit to 21-20 by the end of the third quarter, and then in a dramatic final quarter, took the lead for the first time to pip WHS to the post by a single point.
It is the second year in a row that WHS has won the title. Tt put them level with Windhoek Gymnasium on five victories each since the tournament started in 2013.
Last year’s runners-up, A Shipena Secondary School, finished third after beating Outjo Senior Secondary School 36-23 in the bronze medal match.
Windhoek Gymnasium, however, fared better in the younger age groups, winning three of the five other finals.
They won the under-17 category after beating Centaurus High School 39-18 in the final. Windhoek Gymnasium took the lead from the start and gradually pulled away as they won the first three quarters 9-6, 18-11 and 29-14.
MK Gertze finished third after just beating WHS 23-22 in the bronze medal match.
Windhoek Gymnasium also won the under-15 category after beating WHS 30-26 in the final. Here, WHS started on the offensive, winning the first two quarters 10-7 and 15-12, but Gymnasium stormed back to take a 21-20 lead by the third quarter before clinching a four-point victory.
Windhoek Afrikaans Private School (WAP) came third after beating Jan Mohr 30-18 in the bronze medal match.
WAP won the under-14 title after beating Windhoek Gymnasium 15-9 in the final, while WHS finished third after beating Pro-Ed Academy 15-13.
WAP also won the under-13 title after beating Tsumeb Gimnasium 22-16 in the final, while Windhoek Gymnasium finished third after beating Parkies 33-6 in the bronze medal match.
Windhoek Gymnasium won the under-12 title after beating WAP 22-18, while Pro-Ed Academy beat Tsumeb Gimnasium 25-12 in the bronze medal match.
The Capricorn Schools Netball League has played an important role in developing the sport among the youth, with close to 1 000 players from under-12 to under-19 level representing 85 teams from 25 public and private schools in this year’s competition.
Khomas-based schools still make up the bulk of the teams, but teams from regions like the Hardap, Otjozondjupa, Erongo, Omaheke, and Oshikoto region also participated in the league.
“The Capricorn Schools Netball League has grown in popularity over the past years, allowing school netball players to compete for the national title,” Marlize Horn of the Capricorn Group says.
“We are proud of our group’s legacy of positively contributing to netball development in Namibia over many years. The Capricorn Schools Netball League provides a platform for netball players to play competitive netball of a high standard, thereby enhancing the overall quality of netball in Namibia,” she adds.
“The 2024 Capricorn Schools Netball League has been another exhilarating success,” league chairperson Liezel Garbers says.
“I am so proud of each and every girl who played this year and I am grateful for all the support this league receives. Once again, I thank Capricorn Group for sponsoring this league,” she says.
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