OlympAfrica Sport Centre inaugurated in Omaruru

Minister of Sports, Youth and National Services Agnes Tjongarero on Saturday inaugurated OlympAfrica Sports Centre at Omaruru in the Erongo region.

The facility is funded by OlympAfrica and Barcelona Foundation to the tune of N$2.8 million and will accommodate sport codes such as football, netball, basketball for now until it is expanded in the near future for other sport codes.

In her remarks, Tjongarero pleaded with the community of Omaruru to protect the centre and not allow it to be vandalised so that it benefits generations to come.

“If you take care of this facility as of today, when the expansion comes it will just pick up where it ended. But if you allow these materials to be stolen, then we will go back to square one, it’s going to feel like starting over and spend money where we are not supposed to,” said Tjongarero.

Omaruru regional councillor Ernest Meduletu Wetha said the centre is not just a sports facility but an indirect investment to the small town of Omaruru. Therefore, Omaruru municipality should take care of it and not allow it to become a white elephant.

OlympAfrica’s technical head Couma Marieme Ly said the foundation helps underdeveloped countries by building sport and educational centres so that the children can have access to sport and education programmes to achieve social and economic development.

“OlympAfrica’s main objective is to expand its values mostly in small communities and use sport as a way of achieving sustainable development,” said Ly.

The foundation currently has a total of 50 centres around Africa, and the Namibian centre will be managed by the Namibia National Olympic Committee and the Omaruru municipality.