MTC’s chief of human capital and corporate affairs officer, Tim Ekandjo, has called on government to start distributing its resources equally among able-bodied and disabled athletes.

Ekandjo made the call while addressing the Namibia Annual Sports Awards held by the Namibia Sports Commission on Saturday.

He said how people are treated matters, and athletes who are differently abled must therefore be given the same respect and recognition when they prepare and win medals.

“They are not only equal human beings but better than all of us who have all our abilities because their spirit is defined by perseverance and courage, and we would like to salute them for their bravery and tenacity,” he said.

Ekandjo also said people have different dreams, and their dreams of becoming world-class athletes should be taken seriously and not lesser than those who would like to become engineers and lawyers.

“All our dreams should matter because every future is worth investing in,” he said.

Namibia National Paralympic Committee secretary-general, Michael Hamukwaya in an interview with Nampa on Sunday said the remarks by Ekandjo shows that people are starting to recognise the efforts made by athletes with disabilities.

“I was happy to hear one of the representatives from the biggest sponsors of sports in the country calling on the government to invest equally in sports because this shows that people are now understanding our struggles and are taking para-sports seriously,” he said.

Hamukwaya added that more people at a higher level like Ekandjo are needed to advocate for disability sports in Namibia.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency