Sports – Page 17 – Windhoek Observer

31 Mar

Paralympic funding frozen over governance issues

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Funding for the Namibian National Paralympic Committee (NNPC) from the Ministry of Sport is on hold due to non-compliance with governance requirements. The Namibia Sports Commission’s (NSC) chief administrator, Fredy Mwiya, informed the committee’s secretary general, Michael Hamukwaya, of the decision during a consultative meeting held two weeks ago. “The current board term of office has expired. Hence their involvement to run the affairs has ceased, and funding from the ministry has been put on hold as the federation is non-compliant,” reads the minutes of the meeting seen by the Windhoek Observer. The meeting was also attended by…

30 Mar

Nangolo crowned new WBO Africa champion

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Flame "The Special One" Nangolo was crowned the new World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa super featherweight champion on Saturday night after defeating Ghanaian boxer Felix Ajom via a third-round knockout. The fight took place at the Roman Catholic Hospital hall, where Nangolo extended his professional record to 13 unbeaten fights. This record of victories includes five knockouts. The 23-year-old's victory came against Ajom, who also entered the ring with an undefeated record of 20 fights—17 of them won by knockout. Ajom had never been knocked out before. The boxing event also marked the return of veteran fighter Walter…

27 Mar

CoW gears up for AUSC Region 5 Youth Games

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The City of Windhoek (CoW) is preparing to host the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games in July 2025, with organisers ensuring that all stadiums and training venues will be ready in time for the event. Ndeulipulua Hamutumwa, Chairperson of the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games Organising Committee, said on Wednesday that Namibia is on track with preparations to welcome more than 2,500 athletes and officials from 10 countries. The games will take place from 4 to 13 July 2025. Participating countries include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.…

26 Mar

NYC pledges N$10 000 sponsorship for para swimmer

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The National Youth Council (NYC) of Namibia has pledged N$10 000 to support paralympic swimmer Namasiku Van Der Linden. NYC executive chairperson, Beverly Silas-Garas, announced the sponsorship on Wednesday to assist Van Der Linden as she prepares to compete at the Level 3 Paralympic Swimming Championships in South Africa. Van Der Linden will be the first Namibian with Down Syndrome to participate in the event. "NYC is immensely proud of you. And we wish you well in your para-swimming career,” said Silas-Garas during Van Der Linden’s courtesy visit to the NYC office to receive the sponsorship. The 2025…

25 Mar

Namibia Netball Association calls under-21 players to trials

Sports

Erasmus Shalihahwe The Namibia Netball Association has invited under-21 netball players to attend trials for a chance to join the national team ahead of the upcoming netball test tournament series in Windhoek. The association’s secretary general, Sofia Simon told the Windhoek Observer that the tournament will take place from 1 to 5 May 2025 at the Windhoek Showgrounds. The event will also serve as preparation for the Region 5 Youth Games scheduled for July. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our young players to showcase their skills and potentially earn a spot on the under-21 national team. The test series…

24 Mar

Brave Warriors keeps World Cup dream alive with Guinea draw

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The senior national football team, the Brave Warriors, kept their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup alive after a 1–1 draw against Equatorial Guinea on Monday afternoon. Namibia now has 12 points from six games and remains second in Group H, one point behind Tunisia, who lead the group with 13 points and have played one game fewer. Equatorial Guinea is fourth with seven points, though that could change if the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) restores the six points deducted earlier in their campaign. The deduction came after the team selected an ineligible player, Emilio…

23 Mar

Balloti vows to fast-track Independence Stadium upgrade

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwes Newly appointed deputy minister of sports, Dino Balloti, has pledged to fast-track the upgrade of the Independence Stadium to international standards to ensure the Brave Warriors can play home matches in the country again. Balloti made the commitment over the weekend at State House, shortly after President Netumbo Nandi-Ndeitwah announced his appointment as deputy minister of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture. He added that he will meet with the minister, Sanet Steenkamp, and the technical team to map out a way forward for completing the project. ‘’We need to hit the ground running…there…

19 Mar

Mboma finished second in the 100m Heat at ASA Grand Prix in RSA

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Sprinter and Olympic medalist Christine Mboma secured second place in the 100-meter heat at the ongoing Athletic South Africa (ASA) Grand Prix in South Africa on Wednesday. Competing in her first international event of 2025, Mboma clocked 12.07 seconds, finishing behind fellow Namibian Jade Nangula, who won the race with a time of 11.81 seconds. South Africa’s Reaobaka Matshitse came in third with 12.08 seconds. The meet, held at the University of Johannesburg, has attracted top athletes from across the continent, including African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, who is set to compete against South Africa’s…

18 Mar

Namibia Motorsport Federation gets new leadership

Featured, Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibia Motorsport Federation (NMF) has elected new leadership at its recent annual general meeting in Windhoek. Daniel Tjongarero Jr is the new president, with Benson Kalla as vice president. Bradley Ferreira will chair the motoring commission, Andreas Brendel will head the motorcycling commission, and Derek Jacobs will serve as secretary general. The newly elected officials will manage the sport’s administration and regulations for the next two years, focusing on expanding motorsport across Namibia and internationally. Jacobs said the sport struggles to attract participants because many believe it requires a large financial investment. ‘’Anyone can compete in motorsport…

17 Mar

Paralympic Committee elective congress postponed over non-compliance

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) Chief Administrator Freddy Mwiya has dismissed claims that the commission has taken over the affairs of the Namibia Paralympic Committee (NPC), saying that the NSC is only enforcing compliance with its regulations. Mwiya on Monday told the Windhoek Observer that while NPC is not in compliance with certain NSC provisions, the commission does not have the authority to take over any sporting body’s operations. “We only help them to comply with the law. Right now, they are not in compliance with the law when they were organising the elective congress. We had a meeting…