NNOC strengthens international ties 

The Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) has been strengthening international ties as it steps up its preparations for major upcoming international sporting events.

At a press conference in Windhoek yesterday, NNOC president Ndeulipula Hamutumwa provided feedback on a visit to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 21 April.

The Namibian delegation that met IOC president Kirsty Coventry included Hamutumwa, NNOC secretary general Anri Parker, and the minister and deputy minister of sport, Sanet Steenkamp and Dino Ballotti.

“Our conversation centred around how we can mobilise greater support through the Olympic family for Namibia to deliver on its mandate, and to look at opportunities where we can support our athletes to prepare adequately. We looked at partners who are able to build infrastructures for us, and possibilities where our athletes are sent around the world to best venues and high-performance centres,” Hamutumwa said.

He said the visit marked a significant milestone for Namibia, strengthening its relationship with the IOC and opening new avenues for athlete development, institutional capacity building and technical cooperation.

“We also discussed ways to mobilise additional support for the Olympic Solidarity Programme and the mission was very successful. I’d say it was a defining moment for Namibia’s sporting future. The International Olympic Committee is very supportive and very thankful for Namibia’s participation in these these opportunities,” he added.

The NNOC leadership also paid a courtesy call to Namibian president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to strengthen cooperation and the alignment between the NNOC’s objectives and the government’s broader development agenda.

“As you know, sport is now the number two national priority, and we felt it fit to align our effort, our drive, our energy and our resilience in ensuring that the government delivers on the mandate they have set,” he said.

During the meeting, Nandi-Ndaitwah was presented with a commemorative trophy from the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa which was conveyed on behalf of its president, Mustapha Berraf.

“This trophy is really given to African leaders that are making a greater contribution to sport development. Namibia is the only country in Africa that has prioritised sport among their top priorities – usually you will have education, health and so forth – but the government of Namibia saw sport as number two for the following reason: it’s a sector that can create employment, it’s a sector that can reduce our health budget, it can increase our education, it can improve the living conditions of our young people and it can create a home for our people,” Hamutumwa said.

“If you put all of that in one basket, there’s no other sector in the world that is able to unite, inspire and create opportunities for broader youth participation. Therefore, we want to convey our appreciation to the president, to thank her, and to place on record that the NNOCis here to support her vision,” he added.

Parker, meanwhile, provided information on Namibia’s preparations for upcoming international sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August and the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Dakar, Senegal, from 31 October to 13 November.

“Preparations for the Commonwealth Games are progressing well, with Namibia expected to field a team of 22 athletes. The team will compete in swimming, athletics, boxing, gymnastics, bowls and para-athletics, demonstrating a balanced approach to both able-bodies and para-sport participation,” she said.

Parker added that a team of 11 athletes is expected to represent Namibia at the Youth Olympic Games in swimming, athletics, cycling, triathlon, boxing, beach wrestling and beach volleyball.

Looking ahead, she said the Commonwealth Youth Games scheduled for Malta next year will provide an additional platform for youth development and international exposure.

The Games will feature eight sport codes, namely athletics and para-athletics, swimming and para-swimming, netball, sailing, squash, triathlon, water polo and weightlifting.

Hamutumwa, meanwhile, said the government had made a significant contribution towards the Commonwealth Games and called on the private sector to assist in the development of sport.

“The government gave us N$3.8 million for our Commonwealth Games preparations, which is a lot of money, but the government is just supposed to create an enabling environment, so the private sector, the oil and gas companies that people are talking about, must come on board. We cannot let our resources be taken out of the ground and not benefit our people. Therefore, sport must be first in line as far as social corporate responsibility is concerned,” he said.

The post NNOC strengthens international ties  appeared first on The Namibian.