Namibia paralytic athletes to be honored

WINDHOEK - Namibia's Disability Sports Namibia (DSN) will on Thursday award its athletes for doing well in local and international sports events this year.

DSN president Charles Nyambe quoted by Nampa on Tuesday said a total of 40 athletes will be honored during an event slated for the NamPower Convention Centre in the capital.

The umbrella body for athletes with disabilities has had an awesome year, with 200m (T11) athlete Ananias Shikongo clinching a gold medal, Namibia's only gold medal, at the 10th All Africa Games (AAG) held in Maputo, Mozambique during September this year.

Shikongo was Team Namibia's flag-bearer at the continental games.

Another paralytic athlete, Martin Aloisius, won a bronze medal in the 200m (T12) final.

Aloisius was voted the Most Inspirational Athlete at the inaugural Disability Sports Namibia (DSN) Merit Awards held in Windhoek in 2010. He received the inaugural Hein Wagner Trophy for the Most Inspirational Athlete as a result of a vote that was conducted during that evening.

The sprinter was also the male recipient of the Spirit of Disability Award last year.

Nyambe said there will be no discrimination, and they will award prizes to each and every athlete who did well this athletics season.

South African blind athlete, Hein Wagner, will be the motivational speaker at this occasion. Wagner, who is a cyclist and adventurer, is said to be the world's fastest blind car driver.