Ministry of Sport and Real Madrid Foundation sign MOU

The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service and Cadilu Fishing yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding relating to the Real Madrid Foundation which aims to develop young football players in Namibia. 

At the press conference, Roger Kambatuku of the ministry said that late president Hage Geingob had been a keen observer of the programme during its early stages of development. 

“This program was the signature program of the late president Hage Geingob. I remember how keen he was for this programme to be realised and brought to life,” he said. 

“Dr Geingob met a delegation from Spain and then a vision was expressed for the setting up of permanent schools in Namibia by the Real Madrid Foundation. So we came up with a pilot project to see if we could implement permanant schools and how the project willberolledout,” he said. 

The project was launched last year in four Namibian regions, namely Khomas, Erongo, Kavango East and Otjozondjupa where about 1 000 children between six and 16 have received specialised trainig as well as life skills coaching. 

“Through this programme we are trying to develop the Namibian child into a whole human being, and we are trying to use sport to address all other social aspects. We dont only want to developsport stars, we also want to produce kids who can be productive citizens in other areas of life if theydont make it in sport,” Kambatuku said. 

“The project will continue this year when we will take it to another four regions that weare busy identifying, and then the main hope is that Namibia will be able to set up a permanent school for this project in 2025,” he added.

The Spanish ambassador to Namibia, Alberto de la Calle said theprogramme provided essential values to young Namibians. 

“I think the concept of this programme is outstanding because it’s meant to provide the Namiban youth with ideals and values that are essential in sport and that are absolutely needed in life,” he said. 

“I’ve had the honour and privilege of witnessing the development of the programme in the different regions and I can’t tell you how proud and inspired I felt to see all the young children aged from six to 16 who are seriously and responsibly taking over the programme,” he added. 

The minister of sport Agnes Tjongarero thanked the Spanish embassy for their involvement in the project. 

“Thank you so much – we’ve got many embassies in our country and it’s not every day that one comes to a point where an embassy says let’s hold hands and move on,” she said.  

“This is for the Namibian child, we are not talking about a kid in Spain, here we are referring to children in Namibia, so let it be ours. Let’s make it our project, because we are talking about our children,” she added. 

The executive director of the ministry of sport, youth and national service, Mbumba Haitengela said the memorandum of understanding will cover the following areas of cooperation:

The hosting of soccer clinics, and organising the leagues and national championships, while this will also apply to basketball in Namibia. 

The renovation of facilities for sport schools and leagues; capacity building and training of local coaches and skills development; and the exchange of officials and athletes.

The formsof cooperation between the partieswill include the provision of technical assistance in the field of sport development through the RMF; the provision of funds for courses, seminars or study tours; and the promotion of enhanced performance in the field of sport through the development of a sport school for elite players and the staging of national championships.