Omusati team books ticket to Unified Volleyball World Cup

Volleyball
Mariud Ngula
  • 18 Hours Ago
Mariud Ngula



The recently concluded Special Olympics National Unified Volleyball Games in Windhoek saw the Omusati Region team dominate to clinch gold at the competition.



The victory means the women’s team will now advance to represent the country at the Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup from 5 to 8 October in Katowice, Poland, as the tournament served as a qualifier to the global showpiece.



Featuring nine teams from various regions of the country, the tournament proved to be a platform for showcasing talent, sportsmanship and inclusion.



The competition also served as a crucial avenue to break down barriers and promote social inclusion, as athletes with intellectual disabilities were paired with teammates without intellectual disabilities of similar age on the same side to battle for national honours.‘Friendship and understanding’According to Special Olympics Namibia, the pairing “was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.”



“In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away,” they said.



The games were staged in three phases. The first stage featured random pairing of teams in two groups to compete against each other, with winners advancing to a winners’ pool and the second-best teams settling for a different pool.



Here, the best teams battled it out in Division A and vice versa in Division B in pursuit of medals and ribbons to celebrate their achievements.



Omusati dominated Division A ahead of Khomas Region’s Dagbreek Special School, Môreson Special School, Kavango East Region B and Zambezi Region.



Division B saw Kavango East Region finish on top ahead of Kavango West, Oshana Region B and Oshana Region A.



‘Sport has the power to unite’



Speaking on the event, Special Olympics Namibia director Levien Smit lauded the competition, saying athletes and their unified partners played well together.



“We are very excited that the Omusati Region team will have the opportunity to represent Namibia in Poland as part of the only eight teams in the world that will play in the World Cup,” she said.



Highlighting the importance of inclusivity in Unified Sports, Smit underlined the opportunity to show the world what athletes with intellectual disabilities are capable of.



“We are here to show that these athletes and their unified partners can become friends as we are all one on the field of play. Sport has the power to unite and provide opportunities for athletes and partners alike.



“So it’s important that women’s sports, especially in Namibia, have this opportunity to go abroad, representing the country and Africa at large, making us proud and carrying our name far and wide,” she noted.



‘Register individuals with intellectual disabilities’



Also speaking at the competition, Special Olympics Africa president Charles Nyambe said the tournament was a crucial eye-opener, showing that people with intellectual disabilities can excel in sport and are equally valuable members of society.



“We thus call upon those mothers, those siblings and those friends who know people with intellectual disabilities sitting at home or herding cattle to bring them to us, as they are equal citizens with rights. Find out where the Special Olympics office is and register them so they can begin to enjoy their rights,” he said.



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