Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Namibia Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF) indicated that it will focus on increasing the participation of deaf women in sports across the country.
NDSF president Abner Sheya made the remarks during the closing ceremony of the National Deaf Games, held from 2 to 4 May at the Rietfontein National Youth Service Centre in the Otjozondjupa region.
“There is a lack of participation by deaf women across various sports codes. Going forward, we must focus on developing Deaf women’s participation in sports across all regions. The NDSF Board will work on the ‘Building Capacity in Sport for Deaf Women’ project once sponsorship is secured,” Sheya said.
He said the federation’s board is working to secure funding to train and empower deaf women athletes and give them equal opportunities as their male counterparts.
Sheya said the games were originally planned for Otjiwarongo but had to be moved to Rietfontein because the venue in Otjiwarongo was fully booked and concerns were raised about athlete safety.
He thanked partners for their support.
“A special thanks to Medcare24 ambulance for providing medical attention to athletes and officials, and the Namibia Press Agency for covering the event full-time. Your support was visible and deeply appreciated. Lastly, I thank the Government of Namibia, MSYNS, and the NamPower Foundation for their continued support. Your contributions uphold the values of equality and inclusion, as enshrined in the Namibian Constitution. We urge more sponsors to come on board as we prepare for Deaflympics 2025,” he said.
Sheya noted that although the budget was meant to cover 70 athletes, the games saw more than 400 participants. This included 35 athletes from Eswatini and 23 from Zambia.
Eight athletes have qualified for the Deaflympics, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan, this year.
The male athletes, who qualified, are Elida’s Nghilifa from Eenhana, Paulus Ekandjo from Ongwediva, Munzere Damian from Rundu, Thomas Nambala from Eenhana, and Abraham Ndinoiti from Eenhana.
All will compete in the 100m, 200m, and 400m events.
The female athletes, who qualified, are Maria Fillemon and Shangeelao Kanana from Ongwediva and Saara Haihambo from Eenhana. Each will run in the 100m and 200m races.
The NDSF has called on sponsors to support the athletes with coaching and equipment as they prepare for the games in Tokyo.
