NamPower illuminates Paralympic stars 

Paralympic guide Sem Shimanda says navigating the next two years will be much easier thanks to NamPower, which will provide Namibia’s Paris Paralympic athletes with a monthly allowance over that period.

The athletes make great personal sacrifices to bring pride and prestige to the nation, yet continue to struggle to make ends meet, NamPower said when rewarding the team for their efforts in Paris.

Gold and bronze medal-winning pair Lahja Ishitile and Shimanda will share N$700 000, divided into monthly stipends of N$14 583,33 each over two years, with the rest of the athletes sharing N$410 000, translating to N$2 135,42 per month each over the same period.

This gesture is not a public relations stunt, but a continuation of the power utility’s backing of sport for the disabled, Shimanda said.

“It’s not the first time that NamPower is there for us. They have been doing this for many years. We are very happy and we appreciate for it,” says Shimanda.

NamPower and the government’s support contributed to their success at the games in Paris, he says.

“When we were camping in The Netherlands for four months before we went for competition, it was NampPower and the government that played a role in our training camps,” the decorated athlete says.

“So, we just want to give them that they must not give up. They must continue helping us to achieve our goals.”

Shimanda, who also led Namibia’s most decorated Paralympian Ananias Shikongo to the podium in Rio de Janerio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021, vowed to maintain their level of performance to encourage continued support for disability sport.

“We are preparing for Los Angeles 2028. And, then in between of those months, there are also other competitions,” Shimanda says about the challenges ahead.

“It’s not easy. We train every day, sometimes twice a day,” he explains.

“We are coming from Katutura and the training venue is Independence Stadium. It’s very far and you have to use petrol and spend on everything else needed for training.

“We will use these funds from NamPower to help us until the Los Angeles Paralympics.”

NamPower managing director Simson Haulofu says Namibia’s Paralympians rarely disappoint when competing internationally.

Therefore, they should be rewarded for continuously flying the country’s flag high.

NamPower, the chief sponsor of sport for athletes with disabilities in the country, will reward their coaches Michael Hamukwaya, T’Neil Young and Letu Hamhola a once-off N$60 000 lump sum for their role in the athletes’ success.

“We believe this method of reward will give the athletes some peace of mind, knowing that over the next two years they will have a fixed monthly income to assist them with their day-to-day needs and help them focus on their talents,” Haulofu says.

“It is essential for an athlete of this stature to be able to function normally and not be concerned about essentials. We are extending this gesture to all – athletes, guides and coaches, for the whole value chain to function in unison and excellence and continue to make Namibia proud,” he says.

“It’s not just about coming back with medals. Just qualifying for competitions of this magnitude is a commendable achievement already.”

NamPower will also sponsor Disability Sports Namibia, the Namibia National Paralympic Committee, the Namibian Deaf Sports Federation and Special Olympics with a combined N$1.5 million towards their 2024/25 activities, Haulofu says.

“I would like to make use of this opportunity to urge fellow corporates to continue to support sport, as is testament that consistent support has a positive impact on the performance and wellbeing of athletes,” he urges.

“As I stated during the last reward ceremony, corporate Namibia should step up and establish more sponsorship programmes to reward athletes with prize money, as our total amount of prize money would mean a lot.”