26/06/2025
*EXCLUSION OF VOLLEYBALL IN THE AUSC REGION 5 GAMES*
The Bee Keeper.
June 26th 2025 Lusaka, Zambia - The decision to drop some sports codes like volleyball from the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Games in Windhoek, Namibia, sparked outrage among volleyball administrators and enthusiasts.
Despite two years of preparation and investment for a better outing, volleyball has been unfairly singled out like some other sports code citing financial constraints when we had 24 months of planning for the regional youth event by the ministry responsible.
According to sources, this isn't an isolated incident, as volleyball was also dropped from the last edition of the All African Games delegation for similar reasons. This raises questions about equal treatment by the national sports governing body, particularly when other sports code like football seem unaffected by the cited financial constraint.
"We urge the government the the ministry and national sports governing body to reconsider such decisions given the significant investment in preparing our athletes and the potential for growth that goes on behind the scenes" said a volleyball administrator. "We appeal for transparency, fair treatment, and support for our athletes because these are the future of any sport when things fail they suffer the most."
The administrator highlighted the regional significance of volleyball's participation in Region 5 Games, especially after a successful debut in Malawi. "Our athletes have shown promise, and we' had hoped to build on that momentum in Namibia."
The exclusion of volleyball has also raised concerns about the impact on athletes who have already demonstrated potential. "We've invested in athletes who' have already won bronze in Botswana During the international tournament attracting Americans teams and fee members of the regional 5 team were among the medalists . Sacrificing volleyball and other sporting codes due to financial constraints undermines their progress and development of athletes when the program comes in a qadranial."
To move forward, administrators are calling for dialogue with the national sports governing body to understand the decision's implications. They also propose exploring alternative competitions or tournaments for affected athletes and providing support and guidance for athletes to transition or continue their volleyball careers.
As the volleyball community awaits for another two years for the regional 5 games response from the sports ministry isn't certain, one thing is clear: the future of volleyball in Region 5 hangs in the balance. Will the authorities listen to the concerns of administrators and athletes, or will this talented group of individuals be left behind? Only time will tell.
But we need to continue planning ahead as the saying goes failing to plan for two years is planning to fail in the case of the regional 5 youth games in Windhoek Namibia.
We keep the ball flying
