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Namibia’s track and field athlete Finamekeni Hamutenya ran a personal best record to finish second in the men’s 1500 metres (m) heats at the 2023 Berlin Special Olympics World Games underway in Berlin, Germany.

The Special Olympics World Games are the world’s largest inclusive sporting event. At this year’s championships over 6,500 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners (those athletes without intellectual disabilities) from 176 delegations unite in taking the Special Olympics oath promising, ‘Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’

On Sunday afternoon, Hamutenya became the first Namibian to take to the track in the Level A 1500 metre (m) heat three of the quarterfinals at the Hanns-Braun Stadium in Berlin.

With his impressive run of 4:12.79 seconds, the Namibian athlete finished second behind Kenyan runner Daniel Mutiso who completed the three laps in a time of 4:11.90 seconds.

Hamutenya’s previous record was 4:28.00 seconds.

In an interview with Nampa after the race, Hamutenya said he was excited to set a new personal best.

“I enjoyed the race, I am looking forward to the final. It felt good, and my hard work at training helped in this race well,” Hamutenya said.

Meanwhile, Julien Garises the team Chef de Mission for this game told this agency that it feels great to see athletes giving it their all.

“Germany has welcomed us well, and we keep on talking to the athletes about their readiness for the games. At the moment, I am happy with their readiness and focus,” she said.

Garises added that the Namibian athletes at the games are well-behaved and are looking forward to making their nation proud.

“Coming early to Germany gave us time to acclimatize to the weather while at the same time giving the athletes enough time to put in the extra work at training,” she said, adding that credit should be given to the Namibian government for making all this possible.

The Special Olympics World Games are being held from 18 to 25 June 2023 in Berlin. Namibia is represented in three sports codes, namely athletics, cycling and 3×3 basketball.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The 2023 Special Olympics World Games, the world’s largest inclusive sporting event, was officially opened on Saturday night at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany.

This year’s edition will see over 6,500 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners (those athletes without intellectual disabilities) from 176 delegations united in taking the Special Olympics oath promising, ‘Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’

The Games will be held from 18 to 25 June 2023 at different sporting venues across Berlin and Namibia is represented in three sports codes, namely athletics, cycling and 3×3 basketball.

Officially opening the games, President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the Special Olympics World Games are set to change the world’s view on disability and will bring the people together.

“This is very much about sports, but of course not only, about sports, inclusion and participation. That’s why I’m quite sure that we, as a society, can learn a great deal beyond the sport that we’ll be seeing over the next week. Not only that people with disabilities have something to gain from inclusion, but that we as a society also become richer when we live in inclusion,” Steinmeier said.

Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver also expressed his happiness for seeing athletes gathered in one place after years of not being together.

“We’ve been away from each other for too long. You know what it’s like to be isolated and to be told don’t come out. You are the experts in turning every form of pain and trauma into triumph. Your smiles are shining as bright as the stars tonight. I couldn’t be prouder of all of you. To the world, I challenge you, if you are searching for a reason to believe, come to Berlin and see how we overcome,” Shriver said.

Namibia’s track and field athletes are expected to start competing on Sunday in the Level A 1500 metre (m) and Level A 200m.

Finamekeni Hamutenya will compete in the men’s Level A, H3 1500m quarterfinals while Louise Sagaria will compete in the women’s Level A, H1 200m quarterfinals.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

National senior football team coach Collin Benjamin said three of the players who started against Cameroon in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in March this year, will miss out in their final match due to injuries.

Namibia is currently at the top of Group C of the 2023 Ivory Coast AFCON qualifiers with five points. They only need a point from their next match against Burundi on 22 June 2023 to reach the AFCON finals.

In an interview with Nampa, Benjamin said his squad has been hit with a few injuries, but he is confident other players will do the work.

“From the 11 players that started in the Cameroon games in March, we have two that are out, Deon Hotto is fighting with a groin issue and ankle injury, and Prins Tjiueza pulled a ligament during the play-offs at his club,” he said.

The coach added that centre-back Denzil Haoseb is also a doubt as the player is nursing a knee injury.

“With these players injured it allows others to step up. I am confident that we can still get the right attitude and formation to pull this off. This will be one of the most important games the Brave Warriors will compete in over the last four years, so we should not have any other excuses,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin noted that the training camp with the locally based players has been going well, with a focus on fitness.

“The players are showing good commitment, as a technical team we are impressed with their professionalism. The foreign-based players will only start on Saturday, and we will have a week to go before travelling to Burundi,” he said.

With the senior Council of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA) Cup also scheduled immediately after the AFCON qualifiers, the coach said they have a bigger pool of players to represent the country and at the moment all their focus will be on the AFCON qualifiers.

“One cannot dance two weddings at the same time. Therefore we are focused on the Burundi squad and tactics as well as formation, because this is the only time that some of these players will represent the country at an AFCON if we qualify,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero has called on the Namibian team competing at the upcoming Special Olympics World Games to bring home silverware.

The 2023 Special Olympics World Games are scheduled for Berlin, Germany, from 17 to 25 June, with over 7 000 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners from approximately 170 countries competing in 24 sports codes.

Team Namibia will compete in three sport codes: unified 3×3 basketball, athletics and cycling.

Speaking during the sending-off ceremony held here on Thursday, Tjongarero said she is confident that the athletes will make the nation proud by bringing home gold medals, just as the female unified football team did in the United States of America in 2022.

“We are proud of you, your achievements are commendable, and the same applies to the coaches. Thank you for taking out the time to nurture our athletes’ talents in flying Namibia’s flag high. We look forward to your participation in the World Summer Games in Berlin,” she said.

Tjongarero added that the Government of Namibia through the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service availed funds to the tune of N.dollars 1.03 million to ensure that the athletes will compete at such an international competition.

“The Special Olympics World Games are an outstanding example of inclusion in action, putting people with disabilities and their sporting skills firmly in the limelight. Today we are very excited to see people with and without disabilities participating in sport,” she said, adding that even though the country went through economic hardship due to COVID-19, the Namibian Government through the ministry has continuously ensured that inclusive sports remained their top priority.

Special Olympics Namibia National Director Emilia Nzuzi, while speaking at the same occasion, gave her assurance that the team travelling to Germany has prepared well and will make the nation proud by winning.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The captain of the winning team in the 2023 Namibian Newspaper Cup, Hendrick Muhera Siyemo, has set his sights on playing Premier League football with Rundu Chiefs, as well as representing the Brave Warriors.

The 18-year-old central midfielder recently joined Rundu Chiefs, a team in the North East First Division. In an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, Siyemo expressed his satisfaction with playing for Rundu Chiefs, a football club with a rich history.

“Rundu Chiefs has produced most of the national team players from this region. I have set myself a three-year goal to play Premier League football with Rundu Chiefs and make it to the Brave Warriors,” he stated.

Siyemo mentioned that when he joined Rundu Chiefs in March, the team was struggling with relegation, but they have since moved from 11th to eighth place in the 13-team league. He pointed out that since joining the club, they have not lost a single game and have only conceded one goal in the six games he has played.

Erastus Someno, the sports officer for the Kavango East Region, informed this news agency that Siyemo is a talented player who rose from the third division football league in the Kavango East Region to captain the Kavango West Regional Under-20 team to victory in the Newspaper Cup held in Otjiwarongo.

“His talent was not recognised at the league level, but he showcased his abilities and potential during the Newspaper Cup. Siyemo is an impressive player. He possesses all the qualities of a midfielder. He can dribble, pass, shoot, and has a strong desire to score,’ Someno remarked.

He further added that if given an opportunity at national level, Siyemo would seize it.

He also highlighted Siyemo’s versatility, stating that he can perform effectively in the defensive, midfield, and attacking positions.

“He can play almost any midfield role at an elite level. That is what he did for Kavango West, and Rundu Chiefs when situations require him to do it, which shows his desire for higher heights. He is the new dancing shoes,” Someno said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Twenty-two states of the Federation have declared intention to stage the 2023 Olympic Day Run as part of activities to promote the Olympic values of excellence.

A statement issued by Tony Nezianya, the Public Relation Officer of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), listed other Olympic values to include friendship and respect as enunciated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“The event has been scheduled to run through one of the NOC Commissions, The Sports–For –All,” he said.

Nezianya listed the 22 states of the federation that have entered to stage this year’s Olympic Day Run to include Anambra, Edo, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kwara, Ondo and Gombe.

Others are Sokoto, Ogun, Osun, FCT, Jigawa, Taraba, Delta, Oyo, Sokoto, Kano, Imo, Nasarawa, Kogi and Borno.

According to Tony Nezianya, the event will be celebrated nationwide in the participating states with the slogan, “Let’s Move”.

“The aim is to encourage people to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, corresponding to the minimum time recommended by the World Health Organisation for good health.

“Olympic Day has always been celebrated by our NOC with fanfare nationwide, even though the scope was limited a few years back during the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic.

“This year will not be an exception as many states are already preparing to organise the programme in their various States.”

Nezianya also quoted the NOC Secretary-General, Babatunde Popoola, as saying that the remaining 15 states were being expected to declare their interest, as NOC President, Habu Gumel and other dignitaries would flag-off the event.

The NOC encouraged corporate and philanthropic individuals to donate financially or support us with their products given the mileage it would give to the company.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria