Egidius Nambara said Kavango West is yet to select the final squad for the upcoming second edition of the MTC Namibia Youth Games, which will take place at Rietfontein in the Otjozondjupa region from 16-18 December.
Speaking to New Era Sport yesterday, Nambara said the region was facing challenges of putting up a proper training camp for the athletes due to the ongoing national school examinations. He added that their target group for selection is those athletes attending school and at the moment is a challenge to regroup them.
“Preparation has been a bit challenging as most of the athletes are school going. We plan to call them when exams are finished and even that will not give enough time to properly train because it will just be for a few days and then we leave for Rietfontein. So I can say preparation isn’t going the way we wanted,” he said.
He, however, said they have been communicating with teachers at various schools to keep the athletes busy and to ensure they are receiving adequate training.
Kavango West region performed poorly at the last edition of the youth games, and according to the Nambara, despite the challenges they are facing now, he still hopes that the region will perform well and get some of their student in the national set up, which will represent the country at next year’s AUSC Region 5 Youth Games.
Nambara also spoke on the importance of the youth games to school going athletes, saying they help students realize their potential and also unearth raw talents at an early stage.
“The youth games are very imported, especially to these learners. It helps unearth talent at an early age, that’s why I believe this competition plays a deep role helping school going athletes. Some students are not academically gifted but are very gifted in sport, so with a platform like this it can act as a bridge for these athletes to reach their goals,” he
concluded.
The games are expected to attract an estimated 1 092 athletes and over 170 coaches and officials from all regions, and will feature sport codes such as football, netball, volleyball, basketball, boxing, tennis, athletics, and para-sport. After the conclusion of the games, a team will be selected to represent Namibia at the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in December 2021 in Lesotho.
–mkambukwe@nepc.com.na