Windhoek,, Mar 27 (IANS): In a landmark move, Cricket Namibia has announced central contracts for the women's team, awarding professional contracts to 10 female cricketers.

This is the first time female cricketers in Namibia have been offered professional contracts. This announcement establishes Cricket Namibia the only sporting code in the country with full-time contracts for both men and women national players.

The contracts were negotiated and signed in February 2024 and were announced at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Namibia Cricket Ground recently.

The ten contracted players are: Kayleen Green, Sune Wittmann, Arrasta Diergaardt, Edelle van Zyl, Bianca Manuel, Irene van Zyl, Wilka Mwatile, Mekelaye Mwatile, Naomi Benjamin and Saima Tuhadeleni

Johan Muller, CEO of Cricket Namibia, expressed his delight at this significant development and said. "For the first time, we have been able to professionalise the women’s game. This is a significant moment for sports in the country. It’s the first time ladies have been signed on contracts where cricket is their occupation. Ten ladies now have the opportunity to support their households by pursuing their passion. We want to thank Capricorn Group and everyone involved."

Namibia women are currently ranked 17 in the world in Women’s T20I Team Rankings. Since receiving T20I status from the ICC in 2018, they have participated in 72 T20I matches, winning 44 of them.

In 2019, Namibia represented the Africa region in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier but did not advance to the main event in 2020.