WINDHOEK – The Namibian broadcaster (NBC), has thrown its weight behind an initiative in partnership with Chinese partners to dispatch a contingent of local youth athletes from all 14 regions to participate in the forthcoming Nanying Youth Olympics. About three thousand eight hundred (3800) athletes will make their way to the 2nd edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, starting on the 16th of this month in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province, in China. The sheer magnitude of this year’s games will surpass previous Olympics for the youth. Namibian athletes left on Sunday and NBC expressed the hope that the youngsters will bring home some medals, irrespective of the colour, while flying the country’s flag high.
“The importance of sport as a unifying pursuit cannot be over-emphasised. Just recently, we felt the same spirit of unity and oneness when our athletes participated and recorded successes at the Commonwealth Games. Those games were shown by the NBC at considerable cost, reads a statement by the NBC. NBC says it felt duty-bound to bring those games to its viewers as it truly believe Namibia can truly hold its own and also that Namibia possesses boundless talent, ready to excel and indeed make the nation proud, if only given the chance. NBC Director-General, Albertus Aochamub, added that for these reasons and more, the national broadcaster has again entered into an agreement with its partners and will show the upcoming Youth Olympics on nbc1 and nbc3. “We are thrilled to announce that your national broadcaster will not just be playing the rudimentary broadcasting role during this year’s Games, but is doing much more. Leveraging from our growing global partnerships, we are now able to make a meaningful impact in the lives of ordinary Namibian youth”.
In partnership with the Chinese Jiangsu Broadcast Corporation, NBC is giving a once in lifetime opportunity to 8 young sport fanatic Namibians to experience the Youth Olympics and hopefully nudge their dreams to one day compete at an international level. ”This collaboration emanates from a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding signed between NBC and JSBC, were the parties agreed to cooperate on various fronts for mutual benefit. The ultimate aim is to deepen the exchange and friendship between the young people of the two countries through cultural interactions as such a venture will have a meaningful, lasting impact on the excellent country-to-country relations that are currently being enjoyed.
In conclusion, Aochamub says the purpose of this venture is to inspire a growing nation through the programmes it broadcasts. “We do this, as our teams interact daily with Namibians helping to tell their story of triumph over adversity, through highlighting the positive, untold stories of our past, present and future. “Most importantly, we do this through impacting the life of one Namibian at a time and through this collaboration, we trust these young people will come back inspired from their sojourn in China and that their inspiration will lead them to be better citizens, helping to propel our country, to greatness.” The 9-member traveling entourage that includes members from less-privileged backgrounds is headed by the corporation’s Head of Content Hub, Maria Nepaya.
1.Romio Ricardo Goliath, //Karas, 2.Ndinelao Ndahafa Hauwanga, Ohangwena
3.Abraham Goreseb, Oshikoto, 4.Marthin Hoeb , Oshikoto, Epifania Venda Ndahafa Naukosho, Oshana , Sinead Jurgens, Erongo, Nguvitjita Kamarama, Omaheke
Mulatehi Mutwa Mukwame , Zambezi.
Caption: NBC jpg- NBC Director-General: Albertus Aochamub with Maria Nepaya and Mushitu Mukwame pictured with some of the participants.