Sport Awards pact gives Olympic body formal role
The Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) was granted a formal role in the running of the Namibia Annual Sport Awards (Nasa), including the right to nominate a voting representative to the adjudication committee, in Windhoek yesterday.
The three-year cooperative agreement between the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) and NNOC was signed by NSC chief administrator Dr Freddy Mwiya and NNOC chief executive officer Anri Parker ahead of the national awards on 14 November in the capital.
NSC spokesperson Givean Samulandela witnessed the signing for the commission, while Sénégal Olympafrica Foundation’s Ndiaté Sall witnessed for the NNOC.
The agreement, seen by Sport Wrap, shows that the NSC will retain overall responsibility for the awards.
The NNOC will now be formally involved in the adjudication, nominations, the scoring system and verification of international sporting achievements.
The local Olympic body may also nominate one representative to serve on the adjudication committee in the sport administrator or athlete representative category, subject to NSC appointment.
Once appointed, that representative will have voting rights. The NSC will, however, continue to appoint the adjudication committee and endorse the final winners.
Olympic input
Mwiya said the agreement is intended to bring the Olympic movement directly into the awards process while maintaining the respective mandates of the two bodies.
“The NNOC’s right to nominate a voting representative to the adjudication committee ensures that the Olympic voice is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the process,” Mwiya said.
He said the ultimate beneficiaries are the country’s athletes, coaches and federations who dedicate their lives to sport.
“They deserve an awards system that is fair, credible and worthy of their sacrifices,” he said.
The agreement also requires the NNOC to be consulted before the annual scoring matrix is finalised.
The matrix will give due weight to achievements at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, All-Africa Games, World Championships and other major international competitions.
The NNOC may also verify international participation records for Olympic and multi-sport events where required.
Mwiya said this would help ensure international performances are fairly assessed when athletes are considered for awards.
The agreement further recognises NNOC-affiliated national federations as nominating bodies, while the Olympic committee itself may directly submit nominations for the Wall of Fame category.
It may also nominate suitably qualified candidates, including former Olympians and Paralympians, for consideration to serve on the independent awards oversight committee.
Transparency
Parker said the agreement was another step towards bringing the country’s sporting structures together.
“We are delighted that we are on a continuous journey of breaking down the different silos in sport to make sure that good governance and transparency are the order of the day,” she said.
She said the partnership should help strengthen the credibility of an awards system that has been part of Namibian sport for decades.
“We look forward to working with the commission to make sure everything is accountable, that the awards are conducted transparently and that accountability is maintained at the highest standards in line with the Sports Act and IOC Charter,” Parker said.
She added that the NNOC would assist where needed ahead of this year’s awards. As preparations for this year’s Namibia Annual Sport Awards gather pace, Samulandela said the nominees will be announced on 14 October.
