Vice President Nangolo Mbumba says sports play a vital role in the social-economic development of any nation by enabling athletes to be physically fit and financially stable, but also to be ambassadors of their countries.
Mbumba was speaking at State House in Windhoek on Wednesday where he welcomed the Twenty-Twenty (T20) Cricket Trophy which is touring 14 countries worldwide before the start of this year’s world cup finals in Australia next month.
“Namibia has been doing extremely well in various sporting codes and we are proud of all our athletes. We are also proud of our sports ministry’s work as it enhances our national image and prestige amongst nations of the world,” Mbumba said.
He added that many people in the world now know Namibia as a country because of the good work done by athletes.
Mbumba also expressed excitement about Namibia’s participation in the 2022 T20 World Cup tournament in October in Australia, saying the visit by the World Cup trophy marks an important milestone for the country as it prepares and plans to host the 2027 World Cup here in Namibia.
“Namibia will make history to host the first ever World Cup in the land of the brave. The World Cup Trophy has so far toured various tourist attraction places since its arrival on Tuesday,” Mbumba explained.
The trophy toured several schools in Windhoek, before being taken to the Kapana meat market in Katutura.
It also went to the coast, where a breakfast gala was held in its honour at the Dunes in Walvis Bay, before being taken to Soussvlei and finally the Etosha Pan in the north.
A gala dinner will be held on Wednesday evening, to honour the trophy before it departs for Ghana for its final destination.
He said the trophy’s journey in Namibia enabled it to highlight and promote beautiful Namibian sights and sceneries, which in turn markets the country as a tourist destination.
Mbumba further wished the National Team well as they depart for Australia where they will participate in this year’s world cup finals.