With less than a year left before the All-Africa Games take centre stage, Namibian athletes are intensifying their training as the Namibia Sports Commission boosts their preparation for various sports codes by providing them with funding towards their preps.
This comes after the international games committee recently held a meeting where they allocated about N$1 000 000 towards preparations for the All-Africa Games to be hosted in Ghana in March next year.
The sports codes that received the funding are: karate (N$150 000), boxing (N$200 000), cycling (N$200 000), wrestling (N$100 000), swimming (N$150 000) and triathlon (N$50 000).
Reacting to the development, Erwin Naimhwaka, the president of Athletics Namibia, expressed satisfaction, stating that this would enable them to prepare effectively and ensure more athletes secure spots at the upcoming competition.
“I am happy with the funds. I think the money is decent, and it will allow us to host local competitions, providing a platform for athletes to qualify. We are looking to organise several competitions and explore the possibility of sending a few athletes abroad to compete in international events,” he said.
President of the Namibian Cycling Federation (NCF), Axel Theissen, welcomed the funding, saying his federation was pleased with the amount allocated.
“I received the letter last night (Monday), and I am pleased with the funding because it will certainly alleviate the pressure in terms of preparation. We have a competition in Mauritius and the funding comes in handy. We might also consider hosting a few local competitions to aid qualification, but the coaches will be in a better position to elaborate on the events they are considering,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tjeripo Musutua, the chef de mission for Team Namibia for the 13th Edition of the African Games in Accra, Ghana, said this is part of their plan to secure more podium positions for athletes.
He said they did the same already earlier this year when they sent athletes to Botswana, and they intend to host them in September as part of the plan to have more athletes qualify.
“We have been striving to achieve more medals at major competitions – and the best way to accomplish this is by investing money in athletes’ preparations. Earlier this year, we had an exchange programme with our counterparts in Botswana, where we sent various athletes to participate in a programme to ensure that both countries are well-prepared for major competitions,” he said.