Category: Games

A Murang’a youth is beating odds to become a mental health awareness champion and reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues.

21-year-old Rhoda Mwongela, known by her peers as Bossbaby, is a visionary third year student at Murang’a University who has embarked on a courageous journey to spread mental health awareness.

Speaking to KNA, Mwongela said that she thinks of herself as a wounded healer, who through therapy was able to conquer mental health issues of her own and found inspiration to start advocating for mental health awareness.

She said that the spark that ignited her passion for mental health advocacy came from a few of her life experiences and has made her a beacon of hope to many, inspiring many individuals to prioritize their mental well-being.

‘In November 2021, I decided to turn my passion into action, armed with only my creativity and determination I founded Let’s talk with Bossbaby (LTWB) a brand that is aimed at making mental health a global priority,’ she said.

‘I want to be able to create awareness to a point where people perceive mental health as something that can be addressed and treated and not see it as a complicated thing,’ she added.

Mwongela noted that there is still a lot of stigma associated with mental health issues and called upon members of the society to treat mental illnesses the same as any other illnesses and therefore seek professional assistance.

‘I have a support system of psychiatrists, therapists, mental health nurses, trained mental health advocates and enthusiasts, professional counselors and peer counselors who I recommend to the people who ask for my help so that they can be helped,’ she said.

Mwongela said that her initiative conducts both physical and virtual campaigns and mental health talks to primary and secondary schools, universities, and colleges with the aim of reaching as many young people as possible.

‘I coordinate an online talk show where we discuss various aspects of mental health every Wednesday,’ she stated.

‘The rate of mental health cases is quite high especially for the youth because in my brand, we have documented more than 570 cases through the Let’s Talk with Boss Baby initiative,’ she added.

She noted that the youth are constantly dealing with issues such as relationships, financial crisis and identity crises that could lead to mental illnesses if left unchecked and noted that preventing and handling mental health issues needs to be destigmatized.

Mwongela also noted that young people were also at risk of drug-induced mental illnesses and urged youth to be careful before indulging in any such substances.

She says one of the main challenges she faces as a young person is that many people she meets look down at her due to her age and don’t think that she is equipped to handle mental health issues which remain a taboo subject especially among older people.

‘People have a lot of stigma about advocating for mental health which is a challenge because people don’t understand the dynamics of mental health or that most mental illnesses can be treated,’ she said.

Bossbaby is currently pursuing linguistics and communication at the university but she is also working towards getting a certificate in counseling psychology so that she could be better equipped to handle mental health issues.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Chief of the Namibian Defense Force (NDF), Martin Pinehas, on Friday officially opened the eighth edition of the NDF Annual Sport Games at the Oshakati Independence Stadium in the Oshana Region.

In a media statement issued to Nampa on Friday, Pinehas stated that the NDF is celebrating its eighth edition of the games, being held under the theme; “Unity through Sport”.

“Today, we stand united, representing different services, formations and units from different backgrounds, all bound by a shared love for sportsmanship and camaraderie. Let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together as members of the NDF from all corners of the land of the brave in the spirit of Harambee,” he said.

Pinehas stated that the ceremony is a clear demonstration of the unifying power of sport and that in times of difficulties, they recognize the power of sports to transcend boundaries and foster understanding among each Namibian.

‘Beyond the field of battle, every Namibian is united on this sporting ground, where the language of unity speaks louder than the language of division. As we compete, let us not forget that our true victory lies in forging bonds that will last a lifetime. Let us embrace the opportunity to learn from one another, to appreciate the diversity that strengthens our collective spirit,” he added.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Four athletes have been selected to represent Namibia at the second edition of the Under-15 (U-15) World School Sports Games scheduled for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The World School Sport Games is an international multi-sport event organised by the International School Sport Federation (ISF). It is the largest of many other sport events held by the ISF.

The 2023 U15 ISF World School Summer Games (Summer High School Games) will see athletes competing in over 25 sports codes from 19 to 27 August 2023.

The four athletes representing Namibia are Lizel Mwiza Munyaza from the //Kharas Region who will compete in the 100 metres (m) and 200m; Alexandra Veronique Scheepers from Khomas (high jump and long jump); Lazarus Manyima from Kavango East who will compete in middle and long-distance running (1 500m and 3 000m) and Lodewikus L’Wyk Viljoen from Erongo (discus and shot-put throw).

In an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, Namibia School Sports Union (NSSU) National Coordinator Roger Kambatuku said the NSSU selected four of its best athletes to represent the country in field and track events.

“We selected the best-performing athletes at the national junior championships that were held in Windhoek earlier this year. We would have loved to take a bigger team, but due to financial constraints, we are not able to,” he said.

Kambatuku added that the selected athletes will travel to Windhoek on 13 August 2023, where they will go through the last preparation phases.

“Our goal is to expose these athletes to international competitions while at the same time, making sure that the NSSU is active in international competition as skipping this type of championship can get us sanctioned or penalised. We are, therefore, going to send a small delegation as the team coaches will also double as team manager,” Kambatuku said.

The team will be managed by Eveline Renate Visagie from the //Kharas Region, who will also double as a coach.

The team is expected to depart for Brazil on 17 August 2023, with the opening ceremony for the World School Summer Games slated for 19 August 2023.

Source: NAMPA

After three years of hard work, Futsal Namibia League administrators have expressed gratitude towards the Namibian Football Association (NFA) for admitting them as new members.

Futsal Namibia was officially relaunched in April 2021 for the Under-17 and Under-19 boys, Open League, and Ladies’ teams after its maiden season in 2019 was interrupted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Futsal is a football game played on a hard court, smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are permitted.

In an interview with the media on Friday during the resumption of their 2023 season, league founder Andrei Tirtiran said they are happy to see that their hard work has finally paid off.

“For the last three years, we have been working on becoming NFA member none stop, and we are happy that the NFA has approved our application,” he said.

He added that being admitted as a member of the NFA, they have already started working towards the NFA and the International Federation of Associations Football (FIFA) status.

“We hosted our first referee workshop this week as our goal is to have 20 referees that belong to Futsal Namibia. Soon we will select our men’s and women’s national teams, and we are excited about the development,” he said, adding that due to a lack of infrastructure, they cannot have the league running in all the towns in the country, but their goal now is to launch a league in Rundu and Swakopmund.

Futsal Namibia League director Abisai Simon added that the next six months will see them putting up their heads and working towards growing the league.

“The national team players will be selected from the Premier League, First and Second Division,” said Simon.

Meanwhile, Tirtiran stated that Futsal Namibia League does not have sponsors, therefore, any corporate company interested in partnering with them or taking over the naming rights of the league are welcome to approach them.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Youth, Sports and National Services Minister Agnes Tjongarero implored on all Offices, Ministries and Agencies, as well as State-Owned Enterprises and others to avail sites for voluntary services for the National Youth Service (NYS) trainees.

This support, according to the minister, will strengthen the overall impact of the ongoing six-month National Youth Training programme taking place at the Henties Bay centre, after which trainees will be deployed on various projects of national importance as part of the NYS mandate of instilling civic virtues among Namibian youth.

Tjongarero was speaking at the official opening of the 14th intake of the new recruits by the NYS at Henties Bay on Friday, where 310 trainees are currently receiving training.

The intake comes after a directive by the minister to return training activities at the Henties Bay centre from Rietfontein, following a five-year hiatus at the Henties Bay centre, to ensure full utilization of the centre as well as provide the much-needed training to the Namibian youth.

“In further augmenting its sustainability efforts, the NYS will soon conclude a Memorandum of Agreement with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) which will see a possible relocation of the NUST Agricultural Science programme to the Rietfontein Training Centre.

Equally, the Welwitschia Health Centre has engaged NYS on the possibility of utilising the Rietfontein Training Centre to offer some of its training programmes,” she added.

She commended the NYS for the willingness to co-exist with other institutions, for the benefit of the youth, saying the move will also ensure that the Rietfontein Training Centre, which has a capacity to accommodate 2,500 youth is fully utilised for its purpose.

Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope emphasised the importance for policy makers and stakeholders in youth development, to focus on how well they can coordinate efforts to create and connect services, opportunities, and support for the youth to reach their full potential and contribute towards nation building.

“The revival of training activities at the Henties Bay Centre signifies the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership, as we embark on these new beginnings together.

This, will not only stimulate local development but will uplift the region in terms of sports and culture,” Itope noted.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Eight Namibian cyclists will be representing the country at the inaugural International Cycling Union (UCI) Cycling World Championships set for Glasgow, Scotland next month.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place from 03 to 13 August 2023, comprise all the major cycling disciplines such as road cycling, BMX, mountain biking, and track cycling and will include both male and female competition. Para disciplines will also be staged alongside the able-bodied competition.

The inaugural event will be the single biggest cycling event in history, bringing together 13 existing individual cycling world championship disciplines into one mega event.

The eight Namibian cyclists, who will compete in the mountain and road cycling events at the championships were selected by the Namibia Cycling Federation (NCF).

They include female riders, Vera Looser, Monique du Plessis, Eden Spangenberg, and Melissa Hinz while their male counterparts are Alex Miller, Daniel Hahn, Hugo Hahn, and Kevin Lowe.

According to the NCF earlier this week, the riders were selected based on their UCI world ranking by the end of 20 June 2023.

At the championship, Namibian athletes will start with their participation on 05 August 2023 in the women’s junior road race with Eden Spangenberg who will be coming from the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Horizons Africa Women’s Cycling Project 2023.

On 06 August, Miller and Looser will compete in the mountain bike cross-country marathon in the elite men’s and women’s categories respectively.

(Daniel) Hahn and Lowe will compete in the junior men’s mountain bike cross-country Olympics on 10 August followed by (Hugo) Hahn on 11 August in the men’s Under-23 Mountain bike cross-country Olympics. Miller will once again be on track on 12 August in the elite men’s mountain bike cross-country Olympics.

The elite women category will see Du Plessis who is part of the UCI ANOCA Performance Training Programme 2023 and Hinz who qualified through the Gran Fondo, a self-funded program competing in the road race on 13 August.

The trip to the world championship is made possible by financial assistance from Rock ‘n Rut Mountain Bike Club, Cymot, Pupkewitz MegaTech, Hollard Namibia, and the NCF.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency