NKURENKURU – The Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service has lived up to their promise to bring sports facilities to the Kavango West region.
On Saturday, the ministry held a ceremony to announce that they will be building a multi-purpose youth resource centre to house facilities for different sports codes, including football.
“We are not merely gathered here to celebrate; we are here to affirm our commitment to nurturing the talents of our young people, and to lay down foundations for their future,” said Emma Kantema-Gaomas, deputy minister of sports, youth and national service.
She stated that disparities in sports infrastructure, which have long been a challenge in Namibia, will soon be a thing of the past, as they are being systematically addressed. “With the Nkurenkuru Multi-purpose Youth Resource Centre, we are crafting a beacon of hope – a place where young people can engage in sports and recreational activities which foster their physical, mental and social well-being,’’ she added.
Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the project will lay the groundwork for a sporting complex which will serve as a crucible for talent and a hub for youth engagement.
The deputy minister highlighted that in the 2023/2024 financial year, the ministry had dedicated an amount of N$10 000 000 for phase 1A, which includes feasibility studies, design, documentation and layout. “And we are poised to complete the construction of the training/practice soccer field and multi-purpose netball courts”.
“Over the next three financial periods – 2024/2025, 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 – our ministry has earmarked an additional N$45 000 000 for the subsequent phases, ensuring the continuity and expansion of this essential project,” she noted.
Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku welcomed the development. “I am happy to stand here to witness the groundbreaking ceremony marking the beginning of the construction of the centre”, she said.
“We have come a long way with this project. To be precise, it took 10 years to come to this stage. However, the region has learned in the past that ministries sometimes just stop or halt projects midway after the groundbreaking event. So, this time around, the region will closely monitor the implementation of this project until its completion,” she emphasised. The governor said young people struggle to prepare themselves for various sports codes because there are no proper sports facilities in the region, and this project is responding to their needs. It will be managed by the Namibia Training Authority, in conjunction with the Rundu Vocational Training Centre.