Namibia’s total of 21 medals at the inaugural African School Games has been celebrated by the Namibia School Sport Union (NSSU). According to NSSU representative Rodger Kambatuku, the competition was a testament to the fact that grassroots sport is the breeding ground for future sports stars. 

Kambatuku shared these sentiments yesterday while reflecting on Namibia’s performance at the games, which took place in Algeria. In an interview through telephone, the NSSU boss stated that the tournament was a great platform for young athletes to showcase their talent on a major international stage. 

Namibia was among 52 countries that recently participated in the inaugural games. NSSU sent a total of 31 youth athletes, who competed in various sports disciplines, including athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming, wrestling, and gymnastics. 

At the tournament, Namibia managed to amass a total of 21 medals, with the majority of their medals coming from swimming and gymnastics. Kambatuku noted that the games demonstrated how sport can positively shape young people’s lives from an early age. He expressed his satisfaction with Namibia’s medal collection, especially since it was the country’s first time competing at the tournament. 

“Considering the fact that this was the inaugural school games for the continent, we are very happy with our performance,” he said. 

“We won medals in all the sport codes we competed in. The standard of organisation was very high, and both ANOCA and the Algerian government, through the LOC, are to be commended for the gigantic effort of putting on these games.” 

Kambatuku also thanked the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts & Culture for making the trip possible. 

“The games have proven that schools sport is the breeding ground for future sports excellence, therefore, we will continue advocating for increased focus in this area,” he said. The African School Games project was officially launched during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and was praised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

The games are part of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa’s (ANOCA) vision to create a sustainable sports ecosystem by investing in training, talent identification, and education through sport from a young age. 

This initiative is considered a cornerstone of a new model for sports development in Africa, demonstrating ANOCA’s commitment to using sport as a tool for inclusion, peace, social cohesion, and international outreach. 

-Additional reporting from africaolympic.com 

-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na