Team Namibia bids farewell ahead of Glasgow Commonwealth Games
Team Namibia received an official send-off this week ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with government officials and diplomats urging the country's athletes to compete with pride as they prepare to take on the Commonwealth's best.
The farewell reception, hosted by the British High Commission in Namibia, celebrated the achievements of the athletes and officials selected to represent Namibia at the Games, which will take place in Scotland from 23 July to 3 August. A total of 23 athletes will compete across several sporting codes, including swimming, athletics, para-athletics, boxing, bowls and artistic gymnastics.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Sports, Dino Ballotti reminded the athletes that they carry the hopes of an entire nation.
"Team Namibia will carry the pride of the entire nation" as they compete on one of the Commonwealth's biggest sporting stages, he said.
British High Commissioner Neil Bradley said Team Namibia would be joining more than 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories, competing across 215 medal events at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
"We're going to be cheering you on to bring back a haul not just of medals, but also personal bests for Namibia and for you as individual athletes," Bradley said.
He noted that Namibia will compete in 10 sports, including para-sports, and said the farewell reception was an opportunity to recognise the athletes' achievements, thank everyone who had supported their journey, and wish them success on the international stage.
Bradley also highlighted the wider impact of sport beyond competition.
"Today we celebrate athletes, but we also celebrate the values that sport represents. Sport teaches discipline, resilience, teamwork, respect, leadership and the importance of striving for excellence. These are qualities that extend far beyond the field of play. They strengthen communities, inspire young people and contribute to national development."
One of the largest contingents is the swimming team, with Jessica Humphrey, José Canjulo, Luke Beukes, Oliver Durand and Ronan Wantenaar selected to represent the country. The team will be coached by John Leitner and will complete a one-week high-performance training camp under renowned South African coach Dean Price, a former Springbok swimmer and former High Performance Manager and head coach of Swimming South Africa. Price has previously coached Olympic and Paralympic stars, including Natalie du Toit and Ryk Neethling.
The athletics team comprises Charley Matundu, Elvis Gaseb and Chenoult Coetzee, while the para-athletics squad features Even Tjiuiju and Ananias Shikongo.
Namibia's artistic gymnastics team includes Sureshni Andrew, Anne-Leen Thorburn, Jonie Thorburn and Tyesha Humphries, while the bowls team consists of Amanda Steenkamp, Diana Viljoen, Ronald Christo Steenkamp and Waylon Wentzel.
Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) President Dr Ndeulipula Hamutumwa urged the athletes to represent the country with honour both on and off the field of play.
"When you travel, we expect you to carry yourselves with dignity and respect. Wear that badge – the blue, red and green with a star – with honour and with character," Hamutumwa said.
He thanked the athletes for their dedication and reminded them that earning selection to Team Namibia was a significant achievement.
"As you go and represent Namibia, always remember that we remain very grateful and proud of your achievement."
The Namibia National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association (NNOC & CGA) congratulated all the selected athletes, thanking the coaches, families, clubs and support staff who have contributed to their journey.
As Team Namibia departs for Glasgow, the nation will be hoping its athletes return with strong performances, personal bests and medals as they compete against more than 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories.
