Africa-Press – Namibia. WINDHOEK-BORN Martha Andreas not only took part in javelin throw, shot-put and discus during her younger years at Shifidi Secondary School in Katutura, she also excelled in netball and volleyball.
In fact, the former Mandume and Namutoni primary schools pupil would just finish a game of netball with the Tigers netball club and immediately rush to the volleyball court, where she turned out for her childhood club Revivals’ volleyball team.
Andreas was only introduced to volleyball while at Shifidi, where she was recruited by Revivals Volleyball Club, which opened the door for her to the national team.
“I started playing volleyball while I was in Grade 11 at Shifidi Secondary School and it was also the same year that I was scouted by Tigers, where I was also drafted straight into the first netball team, and played alongside Demu Hipondoka and Donatha Gawanas,” she says.
Shesays she and her friend Theopo Shikulo became the first two black players to play for the national volleyball team in 1995. Andreas, who could play all the positions on the volleyball court, says she wants to be remembered as the most versatile volleyball player, who was even nicknamed ‘Any Other’ by her Revivals teammates.
She started playing for the Khomas Namibian Police Volleyball Club in 2004 after she joined the Namibian Police, where she has been working since. She also turned out for their netball team.
“I could, however, represent the Namibian Police in one discipline only during the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation Games (SARPCCO), and I preferred volleyball, because that is what I excelled at really,” she says.
“I was a complete all-rounder, but if I had to choose a favourite position it would be that of a utility player. I enjoyed assisting the setter when he set up the ball to spike. I enjoyed playing for the police team, because we consistently dominated the Khomas league.”
Andreas says ever since she started playing for the police teams, the Khomas Police have won the Namibian Police Annual Championships. She considers the 2009 SARPCCO Games, during which Namibia won the volleyball tournament in Blantyre, and which saw her being named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, as the most memorable tournament in a police national volleyball team shirt.
Namibia also won the same tournament in 2007 in Zimbabwe, but the victory was not as sweet as in 2009 in Malawi when they won a second time. Andreas reveals that her engagement with the Namibian national team took her to countries like Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and she has won the Zone Six tournament twice with Namibia.
She was named best server of the tournament after Namibia won the Zone Six Championships in Zambia. The year 2013 is one Andreas would like to forget, because she sustained a knee injury that kept her out for the rest of the year, but she bounced back in 2014 and went on to represent the national police team at the 2015 SARPCCO Games in Swaziland again.
She decided to take a four-year sabbatical from volleyball while only playing netball for her club Kudos Netball Club, whom she describes as the club where she is feeling happy and comfortable.
The last time Andreas played for the national volleyball team was in 2015 against Malawi while she made her final bow for the police national team during a second-round defeat against the Democratic Republic of Congo during the first leg of the SARPCCO Games during the same year in Windhoek.
WORK, FAMILY Andreas, now has the rank of warrant officer two, is currently employed in the firearms licence application division of the Namibian Police, and is based at the Otjomuise Police Station in Windhoek.
“I deal with firearm applications and safe inspections at work on a daily basis. Sometimes I assist with the issuing of protection orders and other charge office duties. I also participate in patrols once a month.”
The mother of two says she initially wanted to become a nurse before she went for police training at Ondangwa in 2004. She says she has since fallen in love with her job, and she is happy to be part of the process that is safeguarding the peace and safety of the country’s population.
Although they are following very strict criteria in the awarding of firearms, there are still challenges. “Some people are not honest in their applications, especially when it comes to the part about criminal records. Applicants do not always state whether they have been arrested or have a criminal record.
“Some have even served a jail term for murder or rape. Just imagine you issue a firearm to a murder convict. People must learn to be honest,” she says.
Andreas still plays both netball and volleyball actively with the Windhoek //Hoa!Haob team and Kudos Sport Club, which recently won the Bank Windhoek-sponsored Central Volleyball Association League.
She urges young players to respect the games and be disciplined throughout their careers. “If you are told to do something by your coach, do it – even if you don’t agree with them. You have to be disciplined, and punctuality is also very important.
“Never talk back to your coach, and listen to your senior players.”
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