Sport expo spotlights partnerships and performance
Sports expo
The sixth edition of the Namibia Sport Expo was held at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund last weekend. It celebrated progress in local sport development and strengthened ties between federations, government and the private sector.The event featured representatives and athletes from all 14 regions, signalling growing professionalism and unity in the country’s sporting landscape.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the sports ministry, director Jo-Ann Manuel reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue funding the event, noting its growth into a national brand connecting all 14 regions.
“As the ministry, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that budgetary support is provided annually to strengthen this event so that it continues to attract participants from across all 14 regions,” she said.
Manuel further urged federations to take greater ownership of their programmes. “We need to reduce over-dependence on government and start looking for ways to implement our projects. We have to do better as administrators for the sake of our athletes,” she added.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the Namibia Podium Performance Programme (PPP), a national initiative aimed at grooming athletes from grassroots to elite level. The government has allocated N$7 million to kick-start the programme, which brings together the Namibia National Olympic Committee, National Paralympic Committee and all registered federations.
At the Expo, a total of 117 athletes representing 13 sporting disciplines – including aquatics, archery, athletics, boxing, chess, cycling, gymnastics, judo, karate, Para sports, tennis, triathlon and wrestling – were unveiled as the first cohort of the programme, marking a significant step forward in Namibia’s high-performance pathway.
Cricket Namibia CEO Johann Müller highlighted the importance of global exposure when hosting major events.
“You will not build international relations if you do not engage with international counterparts,” said Müller, adding that federations must think beyond borders. “Can international organisations invest in us? These are some of the factors we consider when deciding which events to host.”
The Namibia Sport Commission’s chief administrator, Freddy Simataa Mwiya, said the expo and PPP symbolise unity and progress within the sporting fraternity. “We are building structures that will allow our athletes to compete on the world stage with confidence,” he said.
The sports expo runs over five days, featuring exhibitions, workshops and conferences designed to promote collaboration, innovation and investment in Namibian sport.