The Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) has issued a public apology for the incorrect ‘dummy cheques’ presented to athletes at the Commonwealth team welcoming ceremony.
A statement by the NSC says the commission wishes to address the unfortunate incident that occurred on 5 August, during the official welcoming ceremony for the Commonwealth Games team returning from Glasgow, Scotland.
“During the event, the commission presented dummy cheques to the boxing athletes, who returned home with medals from the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
“These cheques were intended to signify the monetary rewards owed to the athletes as per the established reward policy.”
It adds: “It was, however, brought to our attention that these dummy cheques were incorrectly printed on the artwork of the International Olympic Committee and the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), rather than the approved and appropriate artwork of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture.”
“As a regulatory and coordinating body for sport in Namibia, it is our duty to ensure that all protocols, branding guidelines and government directives are adhered to by all stakeholders,” the statement says.
“We failed in that duty, and we do not seek or shift the blame to any single entity,” reads the statement.
“In light of the incident, the NSC wishes to assure the nation that we are taking immediate steps to rectify the systemic issues that led to this error.”
It further says the commission will implement stringent quality control measures that will be mandatory for all sport federations and affiliate bodies.
The commission says moving forward, all materials, cheques and branding presented at official functions must undergo a mandatory verification and clearance with the NSC communication directorate before public display.
“The NSC wishes to inform the public, athletes and coaches that the monetary rewards and benefits received by the athletes, coaches and team managers remain unchanged.”
It says the printing error regarding the artwork on the dummy cheques has no bearing on the actual amount of money awarded.
The NSC says: “We view this incident as a serious learning opportunity, and a catalyst for improving our internal controls.”
