Joel Mathews has been named the new head coach for both the men's and women's national volleyball teams in Namibia. His appointment was announced on Monday by the Namibia Volleyball Federation.

Mathews previously served as the chairperson of the Namibia Sport Commission from 2019 to 2021. He told NBC Sport that this new role is important for his personal and professional growth.

"For me, it's an honor, definitely, to be given this prestigious responsibility after years of hard work and trying to, you know, to improve myself both personally and technically in the sport, and to finally get this role as a Namibian and be able to receive international recognition," Mathews said.

Mathews also expressed his goals for the teams. "It is an exciting moment, and I'm very grateful that I'm given this responsibility. It's my dream and my wish that we will use this opportunity to improve volleyball in Namibia and to improve the national teams' performance in both the female and male categories in Namibia."

He noted some challenges facing the sport, including financial issues, but also acknowledged the opportunities it provides for young athletes. One challenge is selecting a team from a large group of players, as the sport has grown beyond just Windhoek.

"I think one of the biggest challenges that we have is basically maybe to do the selection, in terms of selecting a team from a big pool of players. Unlike in the past, where the game was mainly Windhoek-dominated, now the game has spread across the country and we have to make sure that we create the opportunity for every member of society who has the talent, the skills, to be able to make it to the national team," he said.

He is optimistic, however, because the wider talent pool means more competitive teams. "But it's exciting at the same time, definitely, it's exciting because we can look forward to a very competitive national team because of the number of talented players that we have. The game has spread, and it's definitely an exciting moment to be part of this experience, you know, and be able to be entrusted with this responsibility to overcome these challenges."

With his background in sport administration and a clear vision, Mathews aims to lead Namibia's national volleyball teams toward a new era of growth and international competition.