Nam to host Next Step conference

THE Next Step Conference, an international symposium for sport and the youth which is scheduled to take place in Windhoek from September 9 to 22 this year, was officially launched by Minister of Sports John Mutorwa yesterday.

The conference will take place under the theme ‘Sport – Empowering tomorrow’s leaders today’ and will bring together a wide range of partners and participants from the international sport and development communities. The conference will focus on sport’s contribution to the building of a peaceful and better world by empowering young sports leaders to champion the Olympic values of friendship and fair play and become the leaders of tomorrow.In launching the event, Mutorwa thanked the government of the United Kingdom and its sports council, UK Sports, for selecting Namibia to host the conference that will see 250 delegates from all over the world attending.Mutorwa, who is also the Chairman of the SCSA Zone Six Council of Ministers, said that the Namibian Government fully supports the conference, adding that sport is an important educational tool that brings people of all nations together.UK High Commissioner Alistair McDermott recognised the Namibian Government’s involvement in sport.He said Namibia should use the event, which will be covered by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), to showcase what it has achieved since Independence and also use the opportunity to display tourism and investment opportunities.UK Sports Minister Richard Carbon, in a recorded video message, said the UK government was delighted to be part of the event.He said the conference would bring together leading figures in sports that demonstrate the real value of sport.The conference will also give youth leaders an opportunity to voice their opinions and to celebrate their achievements in sport, he said.UK Sport is the main sponsor of the event organised with the assistance of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six.An official of the Zone Six Secretariat, Charles Dzimba, who spoke on behalf of Zone Six Chairman Dr Vetumbuavi Veii, expressed delight that another country in the zone was chosen to host the third Next Step Conference after Zambia hosted it in 2005.The Netherlands hosted the first conference in 2003.He said the conference would just complement what the zone is trying to do by giving the youth an opportunity to participate in sport and become future leaders.A youth festival will run parallel to the conference that will also see cultural activities and a soccer and netball tournament.Some of the world’s leading athletes like Dame Kelly Holmes from the UK, Namibian athletics star Frank Fredericks, as well as Mozambican athletics star Maria Mutola and an official from English soccer club Chelsea, will be part of the conference.The Local Organising Committee (LOC) is made up of representatives from the British High Commission, British Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), Disability Sports Namibia, and Sports Coaches Outreach Programme (SCORE).NampaThe conference will focus on sport’s contribution to the building of a peaceful and better world by empowering young sports leaders to champion the Olympic values of friendship and fair play and become the leaders of tomorrow.In launching the event, Mutorwa thanked the government of the United Kingdom and its sports council, UK Sports, for selecting Namibia to host the conference that will see 250 delegates from all over the world attending.Mutorwa, who is also the Chairman of the SCSA Zone Six Council of Ministers, said that the Namibian Government fully supports the conference, adding that sport is an important educational tool that brings people of all nations together.UK High Commissioner Alistair McDermott recognised the Namibian Government’s involvement in sport.He said Namibia should use the event, which will be covered by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), to showcase what it has achieved since Independence and also use the opportunity to display tourism and investment opportunities.UK Sports Minister Richard Carbon, in a recorded video message, said the UK government was delighted to be part of the event.He said the conference would bring together leading figures in sports that demonstrate the real value of sport.The conference will also give youth leaders an opportunity to voice their opinions and to celebrate their achievements in sport, he said.UK Sport is the main sponsor of the event organised with the assistance of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six.An official of the Zone Six Secretariat, Charles Dzimba, who spoke on behalf of Zone Six Chairman Dr Vetumbuavi Veii, expressed delight that another country in the zone was chosen to host the third Next Step Conference after Zambia hosted it in 2005.The Netherlands hosted the first conference in 2003.He said the conference would just complement what the zone is trying to do by giving the youth an opportunity to participate in sport and become future leaders.A youth festival will run parallel to the conference that will also see cultural activities and a soccer and netball tournament.Some of the world’s leading athletes like Dame Kelly Holmes from the UK, Namibian athletics star Frank Fredericks, as well as Mozambican athletics star Maria Mutola and an official from English soccer club Chelsea, will be part of the conference. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) is made up of representatives from the British High Commission, British Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), Disability Sports Namibia, and Sports Coaches Outreach Programme (SCORE).Nampa