Deputy sport minister Dino Ballotti has questioned the absence of some boxers’ names among the 2026 Namibia Annual Sport Awards finalists.
He says the nominees represent the best of Namibian sport “minus our boxers”.
Speaking at the announcement of finalists for the 22nd edition of the awards on Wednesday, the deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture said he had been looking forward to supporting boxers Martin ‘The Alligator’ Mukungu and Pieter Kotze at the awards.
“I was looking forward to shouting for Martin ‘The Alligator’ Mukungu, as well as the up-and-coming Peter Kotze,” he said.
Namibia Sports Commission chief administrator Freddy Mwiya also raised concerns about professional boxers who had not been entered for consideration, calling for greater accountability to ensure athletes are not denied recognition.
Mwiya on Wednesday said the commission had received concerns that some accomplished professional boxers were missing from the nominations, adding that the government needed to take action to ensure all eligible athletes had an opportunity to be recognised.
“We cannot deny Namibian athletes recognition,” he said.
The boxing concerns emerged as the commission announced finalists across 16 categories for the awards, recognising outstanding performances by athletes, coaches, officials, teams and sporting organisations.
The commission received 127 entries for this year’s awards, compared to 111 in the previous year, an increase of 16 entries.
Mwiya attributed the increase to continued interest and confidence in the national recognition platform, saying the commission had strengthened its verification and monitoring systems to improve the integrity of the process.
He said the revised awards framework, approved by the commission’s board following stakeholder consultations, introduced new categories, refined nomination criteria and enhanced monitoring mechanisms to improve inclusivity, fairness and credibility.
Among the nominees for sportsman of the year are boxer Tryagain Ndevelo, martial artist Ryan Roux and athlete Ryan Williams.
The sportswoman of the year finalists are wrestler Ester Abraham, boxer Mischa Araes and martial artist Cherné Scheepers.
The Brave Gladiators, Namibia’s senior women’s football team, are nominated for the sport team of the year award alongside the trampoline gymnastic team and the Unifier Gladiators.
Footballers Deon Hotto and Peter Shalulile are the two finalists for the professional shining star award.
The awards also recognise athletes with disabilities, with categories for senior and junior sportsmen and sportswomen, alongside awards for coaching, officiating, development programmes, sport administration and community impact.
Ballotti said the recognition of junior, senior and disability sport demonstrated that sport should provide opportunities for all Namibians, regardless of their background or ability.
He also urged federations to consider athletes’ welfare beyond their competitive careers, encouraging young sportspeople to take advantage of subsidised tertiary education.
“When you support an athlete, you are supporting their life beyond sport and not only the immediate performance,” he said.
Ballotti further called for greater private-sector investment in sport, saying athletes needed financial backing before achieving international success rather than only after winning medals.
He said the Namibia Sports Commission had called for N$50 million annually to support elite athletes preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games, describing the proposed funding as an investment rather than a cost.
Ballotti also highlighted the need to modernise the Namibia Sports Act of 2003, which he said had not kept pace with developments in professional and commercial sport.
He said the legislation needed to address areas including athlete rights and welfare, safeguarding, dispute resolution and sustainable funding.
The review, which has been underway since 2017, was a priority for the ministry, he added.
The deputy minister commended the Namibia Football Association for submitting a proposal that includes a dedicated sport levy aimed at reducing sport’s dependence on government funding.
Meanwhile, Mwiya said the commission had signed a cooperation agreement with the Namibia National Olympic Committee and was extending collaboration to the Namibia National Paralympic Committee.
Ballotti said the partnership would strengthen governance and help ensure international sporting achievements were properly verified.
The 2026 Namibia Annual Sport Awards ceremony will take place in Windhoek on 14 November.
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