ONGWEDIVA – The Namibia Annual Sports Awards (NASA) will not only reward excellence, but will also promote sports as a tool to unite the country, sport minister Erastus Uutoni said on Wednesday.
Launching the 2019 NASA on the sidelines of the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair, Uutoni said the event can be used as a catalyst for sustainable development.
“Sports has become big business all over the world as it continues to directly contribute to the global economy and the gross domestic product,” he noted. The minister said the sports industry has emerged as a rapidly growing industry, stimulating the growth of other downstream industries such as tourism, food and beverages, transport, telecommunications and manufacturing.
“It is, therefore, befitting that as we celebrate and launch the 2019 NASA, we all cast our imaginations on the Namibia we want,” he added.
Uutoni went on to say that Namibian youth need to be inspired to embrace a sense of belonging to their motherland, and that the nation can only expect the best from its athletes if they are supported.
Oshana regional governor Elia Irimari, on his part, stressed that his region is ready to host NASA for the first time ever, and pledged to work with all key stakeholders involved in the event.
“Tonight, as we launch the NASA 2019, we acknowledge and rally behind the Namibia Sports Commission in their quest to reward our athletes under the theme ‘Celebrate Sporting Excellence’,” he told those in attendance.
The 2019 NASA will this year be held at the Ondangwa Trade and Exhibition Centre on 26 October.
– Nampa
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