Rogerdeltry Kambatuku (Guest Columnist)
The Special Olympics Organisation (SOO) has a very specific and bold mission, and Special Olympics Namibia (SON) is no different. Its mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletics competitions in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continued opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with other Special Olympics athletes and their communities.
Sport truly is a great unifier, and the athletes who partake in Special Olympics achieve greatness through their dedication, determination and unstoppable attitude.
The Special Olympics are quite well-known around the world, and the next major event of these games will take place in Germany in 2023. However, this is not all that Special Olympics focuses on, and certainly not the only thing SON does for its athletes.
From 31 July to 6 August 2022, Detroit will host as many as 32 men’s and women’s football teams; that’s nearly 600 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities from more than 30 nations.
Namibia has been invited to participate, and the women’s football team is eager to go and show off their skills, talent and dedication and of course, bring home the trophy. This event will embody the mission and vision of Special Olympics, and will show the world what inclusion truly means, as well as show how sports can unify people and countries.
To be able to participate, SON and the female football team will need sponsorship. Sports in Namibia has always struggled with funding, and that is not surprising as there are so many areas in the country that need financial aid in some form or another.
However, we have seen how sport unifies Namibia, and how it has put us on the world map. Athletes with intellectual disabilities have the opportunity to participate in an event that will put them on an international stage.
They have the possibility to shine a light on the challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities. They will also be able to show what they can do, and go above and beyond expectations as true sporting heroes.
*Rogerdeltry Kambatuku is a senior sports officer in the Directorate of Sport.