Veya Information Communication Technology (Veya ICT) has partnered with 13-year old junior swimming athlete, Jose Canjulo, to help him realize his goal of reaching the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar and beyond.
The ICT company commenced its sponsorship agreement for 2019 with a financial contribution of N$ 170 700 and has already provided financial assistance towards Canjulo’s participation in the SA Junior Championships and attendance to holiday training camps with SA’s most prestigious swimming coaches. The sponsorship covers costs related to training, attendance to all international competitions, as well as costs related to dietary needs and training gear.
Speaking at the handover, the Managing Director of Veya ICT, Winnith Schrywer stated that the company was passionate about nurturing the next generation of sporting talent by assisting them to hone their skills and participate in activities to aid their development. “Talented athletes are often prevented from developing and participating in competitions due to limited funding, restricting opportunities only to those who have a financially superior background.”
Receiving the sponsorship, Canjulo shared his gratitude towards Veya for their belief in his talent and praised the company’s willingness to support him to become the best that he can be, saying: “I am fortunate to have this sponsorship at this age, already and it has given me a lot of confidence to do my level best in competitions.”
Canjulo further highlighted the opportunities the sponsorship has already afforded him, specifically discussing his training sessions with some of the world’s best coaches, the opportunity to compete at the SA Junior and Western Province Championships, and now at the CANA Junior Africa Championships, adding: “I have learnt so much and I have grown so much.”
Canjulo’s aspiration is not only to qualify and compete in the 2022 Youth Olympic Games, but also to compete at the Junior World Championships in 2021. Recently, at the CANA Zone 5 Championships held in Windhoek, Jose won 7 Gold medals and broke 4 National Age Group Records and was awarded the Junior Victor Ludorm.
He also won 4 gold and 5 silver medals at the South African Junior Championships, setting another 4 Namibia Age Group Records. He has also broken 2 Junior World Championship Qualifying times, in the 400 m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley.
Now that he has qualified for the CANA Junior Africa Championships, Canjulo has already departed for Tunisia with the financial backing of his new sponsorship partner. Schrywer states: “Given all his hard work, we are hopeful the upcoming championships will produce medals for Namibia, and Veya ICT would be honored to be part of that effort.”
Schrywer went on to discuss Veya’s CSI philosophy, emphasizing the importance of thinking beyond the scope of the company’s operations and investing in the youth of Namibia wherever they possibly can, saying: “For us, developing the leadership skills of the next generation is absolutely vital for the future of our country, and we see this sponsorship as partly contributing to that. After all, it takes a great deal of mental strength to become a leader, and this type of mental strength is honed alongside the physical skills that are so important for young athletes to meet and exceed their potential. To be a leader in sport means the development of skills that will benefit them greatly outside of sport – and these can subsequently be translated into any setting.
Schrywer concluded by saying, “The sponsorship of any talented young sportsperson can help to create a leader or an ambassador for the future. All it takes is the right level of support.”