Namibian athletics development platform launched 

A new athletics development platform, The Collective, has been launched to create a structured ecosystem aimed at nurturing talent and improving performance standards among Namibian athletes.

Officially launched at the Ogilvy Namibia head office in Windhoek this week, founder Hanjo de Klerk said the platform is a ‘dual tier’ ecosystem set to connect elite coaching, data-driven performance and national visibility to the country’s most promising athletes.

De Klerk said the initiative represents the first attempt to build a centralised professionally managed ecosystem for the sport in Namibia.

“We are bringing together coaching, athlete development, performance data, nutrition, and competitive exposure under a single coordinated structure,” he said.

Present during the official launch, deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Dino Ballotti said he fully supports the initiative.

He urged De Klerk to consider expanding the long-term initiative to Vision 2037 and not to 2030, as more time is needed to fully produce future athletic stars.

“You can count on my support and that of the ministry. This project must work. Congratulations and well done.”

Ballotti warned that athletes must be treated equally, noting that the notion of selecting athletes for national teams based on their means must end.

“Privileged athletes are not necessarily elite athletes. I agree there is a need to start at the foundation where there is a mass of athletes,” he said.

He added that he agrees with The Collective’s trajectory pathway, which targets elite athletes, competition coordination and a national strategy.

De Klerk said The Collective has partnered with renowned athletic coaches such as Letu Hamhola, Karina Theunissen, Christine van der Linde, Wynand Dreyer and Leonie van Rensburg.

The programme has selected five athletes as the maiden beneficiaries – Ruana de Carvalho (sprinter), Luca van Wyk (hurdle, 100m), Cristo van Rooyen (hurdles), Aleka Potgieter (javelin, shot put) and Alexandra Scheepers (long jump, high jump)

De Klerk said the platform was established in direct response to a fragmented athletics landscape that has, for years, lacked the centralised management and professional frameworks necessary to retain and develop local talent.

“Without consistent standards for coaching, limited access to national and international representation, promising athletes have routinely plateaued or gone unnoticed.

“The platform addresses this gap through a three-tier model designed to serve elite athletes, developing competitors and the broader sporting calendar,” he said.

He said The Collective operates through three complementary tiers, and that the prime collective tier caters to a curated group of athletes, each demonstrating elite-level competency in their discipline and a measurable commitment to improvement.

“These athletes will receive structured, periodised coaching programmes, access to certified nutritionists, strength and conditioning support, professional photoshoots and athletes’ profile for visibility purposes, and participation in regional and national competitions,” De Klerk stated.

He said The Collective’s talent acquisition strategy spans all regions, while its development programmes will initially focus on four areas with demonstrated athletic potential and institutional infrastructure.

Initial regions selected are Khomas, Erongo, Hardap and Otjozondjupa, where the platform will target athletes in the under-15, 17 and 19 age categories.

De Klerk said the development programmes include rural coaching outreach to communities where access to qualified coaching is limited, as well as structured coach development, clinics aimed at raising the standard of instruction nationwide, and the establishment of a regional framework designed to sustain year-round athletic progress.

“This is not another clinic or a one-off event. The Collective exists because we need a full-scale athletic ecosystem in this country, one that gives our young athletes and coaches a reason to believe that there is something structured and professional to work towards right at home.

“There has been a persistent lack of centralised management of meaningful cooperation among stakeholders, stifling the growth of athletes who deserve better.

“We are done waiting for change. We are leading it,” De Klerk said.

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