Two more athletes join NPC female team

WINDHOEK, 20 SEP – Two more female athletes were added to the National Paralympic Committee of Namibia (NPC) team after its final scouting session that was held in Keetmanshoop in the //Kharas Region.
The NPC in partnership with the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service and with the sponsorship of Coca-Cola Namibia held scouting sessions for female athletes with disabilities in the Oshana, //Kharas and Kavango regions.
After these sessions in the three regions, the NPC recruited nine young female athletes who will join their team during a training session in October.
In their final scouting session at the Keetmanshoop Rehabilitation Centre last week Friday, Martha Hitekalute and Lee-Ann Kooper became the last two athletes to be recruited to the team of seven athletes who were selected in July and August.
In their first session that took place at the Eluwa Special School in Ongwediva, Oshana Region in July, the scouting team discovered four athletes between the ages of 13 and 26 years, who are Kristine Josef, Mariana Kaxuxwe, Ronia China Shiningeni and Elina Kaululuilei.
In August, three female athletes were selected in Rundu, Kavango East. The athletes are Eveline Hausana, Justina Kapanga and Maria Simon.
NPC secretary-general, Michael Hamukwaya in an interview with Nampa on Thursday said the selected athletes are part of their project of keeping the team competitive with young athletes for future championships.
“We are building for the future and these young athletes that were selected will be ready in the next four or five years.”
“We cannot expect them to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan as they still need to be trained well and compete at a number of regional and international competitions for experience,” he said.
The selected athletes from the scouting sessions stand a chance of being included in the national team to represent Namibia at the South African Championships, All Africa Games and World Championships next year.
Hamukwaya said the NPC is grateful for the Coca-Cola sponsorship and for the support of the Directorate of Sports by way of transportation for the scouting team.
NAMPA