The Namibia National Olympic Committee on Thursday held its elections at the Hilton Hotel in Windhoek, where Abner Xoagub was re-elected as president and veteran shooter Gaby Ahrens elected as vice president.

Pierre Knoetze was elected as treasurer and rower Maike Diekmann as athletes’ representative, while the additional board members are Joseph Amakali, Aileen Botha, Lydia Kandetu, Andrew Masongo, Cilas Wilders, Thomas Wylie, Alida Reimers-Cline and Jesse Schickerling.

Their term runs until 2024.

Reacting to her election as new Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) vice president, Ahrens took to social media to express her joy and readiness for the new position.

“Proud and honoured to have been elected as vice president of the NNOC. After the end of my sporting career, I decided to actively support athletes throughout the Olympic movement by serving on various sports bodies to ensure that athletes’ rights and perspectives are taken into consideration. Thank you to the leaders of our national sport federations who support my efforts, trust my intentions and voted for me,” said the highly-decorated retired shooter, who represented Namibia at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the women’s trap event.

Ranked number one in Africa for many years before she retired in 2016, Ahrens has won two African Championship titles in 2011 and 2015 as well as several Namibian, South African and Angolan national titles in Olympic trap shooting. 

Ahrens was awarded Namibia Sports Woman of the Year in 2010, the same year she won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. - ohembapu@nepc.com.na