Rundu stadium not disability-friendly

WINDHOEK – National Paralympic Committee of Namibia (NPCN) secretary general Mike Hamukwaya has expressed disappointment with the facilities at the Rundu Sports Stadium, stating that they are not friendly to disabled athletes.

Hamukwaya visited Rundu over the weekend, where he held an athletes classification and training session, which encompassed a day’s regional competition.

Speaking to Nampa on Monday, he said Kavango East was one of the regions with the highest number of athletes competing at the NPC national championships, but these athletes lacked the support needed by disabled athletes.

He said the Rundu Sports Stadium ground was not wheelchair-friendly, and blind athletes would also find it hard to compete or train at the ground as the running track was just made of sand.

“I really don’t know how schools, even those with able-bodied athletes, compete at the Rundu Sports Stadium, as the track is in really bad shape.

“One of the other problems we have at Rundu is that athletes do not have a support system, with regards to coaches, since none of the coaches we get from Cuba are sent to Rundu,” he stressed.

Despite the lack of appropriate infrastructure for disabled athletes, Hamukwaya described the one-day event as a success, adding that the NPCN selected a group of athletes to start training for field events.

“We spoke to a committee which is representing athletes in Kavango East to start training for field events, like shot put and discus, as those can be trained on any open space.

“We are also working on having athletes from Kavango East in our national team because we want to have full representation of athletes from all the regions in Namibia,” he noted.

The NPCN oversees five competitive sports codes for disabled athletes, namely powerlifting, swimming, athletics, wheelchair basketball and Boccia (a precision ball sport similar to bowling, usually played by athletes with more severe physical disabilities). – Nampa

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.