The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service is aligning its National Development Plan (NDP) 6 initiatives to Swapo’s manifesto, sport director Jo-Ann Manuel says.
This move ties in with the recent masterclass sport development training event for sport officers held in Windhoek.
Manuel says the training was successful, making it possible to transition to the next phase of the exercise.
Talking to Desert FM recently, the director of sport said: “We need to come together as a ministry and institution, so that we can collectively understand what is being advocated in the NDP 6.
“The idea is to make sure what we implement as a ministry is the same all over the country. Remember, we are a unitary state, meaning what is happening in the northern regions of the country is exactly what is happening in the southern regions of the country.”
Swapo promised to upgrade national sport facilities, including Independence Stadium, to enable the national football teams to play on their home ground.
Additionally, the construction of international standard sport facilities across all 14 regions is a priority.
The government also plans to construct youth recreation centres countrywide to create productive recreational activities for the youth, foster talent development and facilitate employment creation.
The manifesto looks at operationalising the Sport Development Fund under the Namibia Sports Act to develop sport infrastructure and promote employment creation through the professionalisation of sport.
Finally, the manifesto refers to strengthening the sport reward policy to incentivise performing athletes.
“Sport is not just one of those economic sectors, but also contributes to physical, mental and emotional well-being, thus ensuring a more productive society,” Swapo’s manifesto states.
“We are committed to realising the full potential of our sportsmen and women, and setting out to encourage the professionalisation of the sector.
“. . . accelerate financing of various sport programmes and sport infrastructure to create productive recreational activities for the youth and facilitate employment creation.”
Manuel said the professionalisation of Namibian sport is a priority, according to the NDP 6.
“That is why we are saying the goal is creating employment through sport. That is why we came together, and the masterclass training was supposed to prepare us to understand the concept and the tools needed to expedite the implementation process when we start with the NDP,” she said.
SPORT ECOSYSTEM
The training on Sport Ecosystems Development focused on critical areas such as policy in sport, funding strategies, sport professionalism, commercialisation and reviews of case studies on development, as well as implementing policies and programmes at different levels.
Manuel said understanding the sport ecosystem and how to best leverage resources available to them is imperative in realising development objectives.
She said sport officers are now better equipped to navigate and contribute towards uplifting the sport landscape nationwide.
“It is about looking at where we are and how we will interact with the other role-players and how we should interact with people to ensure we deliver the mandate of sport collectively,” the sport director said.
“Remember, we are supposed to deliver the mandate of sport. Everything is within our mandat, but there are others who are supposed to come on board and assist us.
“For the first time since the independence of our country, sport will become a national agenda.”
Erongo region senior sport officer Bethold Karumendu says the course was an eye-opener.
“We had to be refreshed as we are moving towards a new technology world – especially in terms of reporting, professionalism, how to source sponsorships, and what sponsors can get in return,” he says.
Oshikoto senior sport officer Ngonyofi Helao says the training has taught attendees how to secure funds and sponsorships.
“We are going to implement what we’ve learnt here in our respective regions. We were also taught about leadership styles and how to change our lifestyles for the better,” he says.
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