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“Namibia has capacity to host 2025 Youth Games”- AUSC

• 1 Week Ago 13 December 2024

African Union Sports Council’s (AUSC) regional organising committee chairperson, Stanley Mutoya, on Tuesday declared the country capable of hosting the eleventh edition of the Region 5 Youth Games, scheduled for 6 to 15 June next year.

This will be the second time Namibia hosts the Games, having previously hosted them in 2006. The previous edition was held in Lilongwe, Malawi, in 2022.

Mutoya made these remarks at the conclusion of the AUSC’s Chef de Mission (CDM) and General Team Managers (GTM) meeting, held in collaboration with the sports ministry at Windhoek’s Avani Hotel. The meeting aimed to review potential venues for the Games and discuss Namibia’s readiness to host the event.

Sport: a catalyst for development

Providing an update on the meeting’s outcomes, Mutoya said: “[After thorough assessments and deliberations during our CDM and GTM meeting with Namibia through the local organising committee], I can say with so much pride and confidence that my colleagues and I do not hesitate whatsoever to confirm that Namibia has the capacity to host the Games.”

He added that the protocol agreement for hosting the event had successfully gone through various governmental processes and was signed, signalling the government’s goodwill.

“We are not just here to organise games and fill stadiums - we are here to change lives. We are here to change circumstances and contribute to the government’s efforts to ensure that sports become a catalyst for development,” Mutoya affirmed.

Selected venues

Speaking to Sport Wrap, local organising committee chairperson and newly appointed Namibia National Olympic Committee president, Ndeulipula Hamutumwa, confirmed the selected venues for the Games’ various sports codes.

“The opening ceremony will be held at the Hage Geingob Stadium, which will also host some of the football matches, with others to be held at the University of Namibia’s main campus stadium. The cultural festival, Games Village and polyclinic for athletes will also be located at the university,” he noted.

He added that athletics and swimming will take place in Swakopmund. Table tennis, netball, e-sports, volleyball and boxing will be hosted alongside karate at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Basketball matches will be held at Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS), beach volleyball at Deutscher Turn- und Sportverein (DTS), and tennis at the Central Tennis Courts.

‘Let’s toil together’

The CDM and GTM meeting, which commenced over the weekend, attracted 64 officials from 10 member countries. Attendees included 11 Chef de Missions, 11 Youth Games team managers, 11 Regional Organising Committee members, 14 Confederation representatives and 17 Local Organising Committee members, all working to set the stage for the event’s preparations.

Speaking at the event, sports deputy minister Emma Kantema-Gaomas reaffirmed the country’s commitment to hosting an unforgettable eleventh edition of the Games. She also urged member countries to support Namibia and “toil together” to ensure the Games’ success.

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