Tough act to follow for Commonwealth Games team

The Namibia National Olympic Committee yesterday announced a team of 23 athletes and 16 support staff for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The athletes represent six different sporting codes and are supported by a team of coaches, managers, medical personnel, technical officials and administrators, while the team will be led by chef de mission Joseph Amakali. It will be Namibia’s eighth participation at the games since their debut in Victoria, Canada in 1994, while they have won a total of 24 medals, consisting of five gold, four silver and 15 bronze.

The team will have a tough act to follow on the 2022 team that won four bronze medals at the Birmingham games – Namibia’s second most medals won at a single Commonwealth Games. One of those medallists, Paralympian Ananias Shikongo is back in the team, but most of the athletes will be going to their first games. The president of the NNOC Ndeulipula Hamutumwa was upbeat about Namibia’s chances of success.

“From the 23rd of July to the 2nd of August, Glasgow is going to be on fire, and Namibia is going to bring fire. As you recall in 2014 we were also in Glasgow – we came, we saw, and we conquered. Now this time around we are going to conquer it all,” he said.