馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Namibia's ambassador to Belgium leverages European sport networks for partnerships
via The Namibian6 min read
Namibia's ambassador to Belgium, Alfredo Hengari, is working to secure coaching, technology, and infrastructure partnerships for Namibian athletes and federations through European sport networks. Hengari, who has been in Brussels for five months, aims to identify sources of technical cooperation, sport science expertise, facility management knowledge, equipment partnerships, exchange programs, and funding. He states that sport is a priority for president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, focusing on youth development, discipline, and excellence. Hengari highlights Belgium's sophisticated tradition of municipal sport development and club-based community infrastructure, which Namibia can learn from. He also notes Belgium's leadership in sport technology, including artificial turf systems, performance analytics, and athlete monitoring, which could significantly benefit Namibian athletes. Namibian cricketers Gerhard Erasmus, David Wiese, and Ruben Trumpelmann are already active in Belgian franchise cricket, serving as a human bridge for sport diplomacy. Hengari intends to make the embassy an active gateway for Namibian sport federations to connect with European counterparts. The strategy involves engaging Belgium for football, cycling, hockey, and cricket, the Netherlands for football methods and hockey development, and Luxembourg for EU governance and development finance networks relevant to sport infrastructure funding. He plans a structured program of direct engagement with Belgian and
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
American Wyndham Clark holds a six-stroke lead after the third round of the US Open, finishing with a level-par 70 at Shinnecock to reach seven-under 203. Despite a bogey on the 18th, Clark increased his lead. World number one Scottie Scheffler, aiming for a career Grand Slam, shot a 69, one of only two sub-par rounds, to move into a tie for second at one-under 209. Scheffler recovered from an early two-bogey start with four birdies on the back nine. Joining Scheffler at 209 are fellow Americans Sam Stevens and Sahith Theegala, along with South Korea's Tom Kim. The challenging conditions at Shinnecock, with whipping winds, dense rough, and tricky pin positions, tested the golfers. Players are competing for a record $4.5 million top prize from a total purse of $22.5 million. Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, made an eagle putt on the par-five 16th. Rory McIlroy, ranked second, is 10 strokes behind Clark at 213 after a round of 73, which included five bogeys on the back nine.
Japan secured a 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the 1,000th game of the World Cup, moving closer to a spot in the last 32. Ayase Ueda scored two goals, while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito each contributed one. This win places Japan alongside the Netherlands with four points at the top of Group F. Tunisia, having previously lost 5-1 to Sweden, is now out of contention for the knockout rounds. The match marked a losing debut for Tunisia's new manager, Herve Renard. Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and Ueda added another goal in the 31st minute. Junya Ito scored in the 69th minute, followed by Ueda's second goal in the 83rd minute.
Must ReadCuracao achieved its first-ever World Cup point by drawing 0-0 with Ecuador in a Group E match. Goalkeeper Eloy Room was instrumental, making 15 saves, the most on record since 1966 for a World Cup match not featuring extra-time. Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, had 28 shots, with 15 on target, but could not breach Curacao's defense. This result keeps Curacao's hopes of reaching the knockout phase alive in their debut World Cup appearance. The team, managed by Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, consists largely of players born in the Netherlands. The draw follows Curacao's 7-1 loss to Germany in their opening match. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were present to support Curacao, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Ecuador's coach Sebastian Beccacece expressed his team's disappointment at not scoring, taking responsibility for the outcome. Germany, who beat Ivory Coast 2-1, will top Group E due to Curacao's draw. Curacao is set to play Ivory Coast next, while Ecuador will face Germany, with all teams in Group E still in contention.