Namibia’s power utility, NamPower, on Tuesday here rewarded three athletes and their guides as well as two coaches with N.dollars 535 000 for their achievements at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
The Namibia Paralympic Committee sent three athletes and three guides to compete in the championship that saw them win two medals, a silver and bronze in the 400-metre (m) events of the T11 and T13 categories.
For winning a silver medal in the T11 400m sprint, Ananias Shikongo and his guide Sem Shimanda each received N.dollars 150 000 while Johannes Nambala who won a bronze in the T13 400m got N.dollars 100 000.
NamPower who was in a giving spirit also rewarded the 2020 Paralympic Games team members Lahja Ishitile and her guide Sydney Kamuaruuma, and Even Tjiuiju (Shikongo’s guide).
They each received N.dollars 25 000 while coaches Letu Hamhola and Michael Hamukwaya each received N.dollars 30 000.
NamPower Chief Operating Officer, Fritz Jacobs the told the media that due to the COVID-19 restrictions last year they were unable to hold an appropriate reward ceremony.
“Athletes of Special Olympics and Paralympics time and time again continue to make the country proud at the international level. Through the relationship we as NamPower have built with Disability Sport Namibia over the past 10 years, we will continue to support this partnership so that more athletes can realise their dreams and aspirations,” he said.
He added that with the reward money being the only source of income for the athletes, they will establish a sponsorship programme where the reward money will be paid over to the athletes over a period of two years every month.
“We call on corporate Namibia to step in and establish more sponsorships programmes to reward athletes with prize monies so that our total collective prize monies are meaningful for sportspeople to make fulfilling professional careers from their respective talents,” said Jacobs.
The NamPower sponsorship will run from 31 April 2022 to 30 March 2024.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
