Erongo Region Governor Neville Andre Itope has called on national sports bodies to create platforms for athletes who are from less privileged backgrounds.

Itope was speaking during a courtesy visit to his office by athlete Liina Nanhele, who is one of the Under-15 athletes nominated by the Namibia Schools Sport Union to take part in the ISF World School Sport Games in Serbia next week.

The Grade 9 learner from Tutaleni High School in Walvis Bay will compete in the 400 and 800 metre races.

“Often we find that sports administrators affect the progress of athletes by only acknowledging athletes who are already well off or from privileged families, instead of picking up raw talent. Those managing sports should also give an opportunity to people who are not known and most definitely this too would yield fruitful results as we are witnessing with Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma,” the governor said.

Nanhele is the oldest of three children who are being raised by a single mother. She said her mother sacrifices a lot to ensure that she does not miss any opportunities to participate in sports events.

“I owe all my hard work to my mother and should I win a medal at the games, I will dedicate it to my mother who does everything in her power to make sure I do what I am passionate about,” she said.

She recalled watching Paralympian Johanna Benson and being inspired by her to take her passion for athletics to national level.

Sports coordinator at Tutaleni High School, Daniel Uwiteb, said Nanhele was easily identifiable as a talented athlete as she has always excelled at sport since she started attending the school.

“It has been proven that Namibia can produce international talent and Nanhele will flourish as well with the right amount of moral, psychological and financial support,” Uwiteb noted.

Nanhele and Sigliende Abrahams, a learner at Riverside Private School who was nominated in the chess category, will depart for Serbia on Saturday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency