President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday officially sent off Team Namibia and handed over the national flag to the 12 athletes set to compete at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games in Senegal from 31 October to 13 November.
Speaking at State House, Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted the significance of the games, the first Olympic sporting event hosted on African soil, describing the occasion as historic for the continent and its young athletes.
“The games are historic because, for the first time in history, this sporting event has never been hosted in Africa and will be, for the first time,” she said.
The president congratulated the athletes on earning the opportunity to represent Namibia on the international stage, emphasising that the games extend beyond identifying sporting champions to developing young people through sport.
“They bring together talented young athletes from across the world in an environment that combines competition, education, culture, friendship and values of Olympism.”
The games are expected to attract approximately 2 700 young athletes representing more than 200 delegations from around the world.
Team Namibia will compete in seven sporting codes, with Elkana Iileka representing the country in athletics, while Robert Sinclair and Rene Steinkopf will compete in beach volleyball. Abraham Kalenga will take part in boxing, and Mike Baartman and Bianca Nell will represent Namibia in cycling.
Johannes Langford will compete in triathlon, while Roselinda Matyayi, Madison Bergh, Nathan Bock and Lorenzo Estherhuizen will represent the country in swimming. Shithigona Shipopyeni will compete in beach wrestling.
The diverse representation reflects Namibia’s participation across individual and team disciplines as the young athletes prepare to test their abilities against competitors from different countries.
Speaking on behalf of the athletes, Matyayi pledged that the team would represent Namibia with pride, integrity and respect throughout the competition.
“We will compete fairly, support one another, embrace the Olympic values and be positive ambassadors of Namibia on and off the field of play,” she said.
The athletes also committed themselves to excellence, inclusion and clean sport, acknowledging the responsibility that comes with representing their country.
They pledged to honour the trust the Namibian people placed in them while upholding the values of fair competition and sportsmanship during the games.
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