Namibia, China sign Olympic cooperation agreement

The Namibia National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association (NNOC-CGA) has signed a four-year cooperation agreement with the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) to strengthen sporting development and create international opportunities for Namibian athletes.

The agreement was signed on Sunday at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Dakar, Senegal, on the sidelines of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

NNOC-CGA president Dr Ndeulipula Hamutumwa and Chinese Olympic Committee president and sport minister Gao Zhidan signed the agreement, which provides a framework for collaboration in high-performance sport, athlete development, international competitions, sports science, sports medicine and anti-doping initiatives.

The partnership is also expected to strengthen cooperation between national sports federations in both countries, allowing athletes, coaches and technical experts to benefit from knowledge exchange, international exposure and potential joint training programmes.

China’s established expertise in Olympic disciplines such as gymnastics, swimming, diving, badminton, table tennis, weightlifting and shooting could provide valuable opportunities for Namibia as it works towards improving its high-performance sporting programmes ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Hamutumwa said the agreement would help create meaningful opportunities for Namibian athletes and sports federations by tapping into China’s experience and success in various sporting disciplines.

NNOC-CGA CEO Anri Parker said the partnership forms part of a broader strategy to establish international relationships that can strengthen Namibia’s sporting capacity.

She emphasised that the objective was to ensure such agreements translate into practical benefits, including access to specialised coaching, training facilities, technical knowledge and improved athlete preparation. Parker added that international partnerships were particularly important for smaller sporting nations, where access to high-performance resources and international competition opportunities can be limited.

The agreement further reinforces the longstanding relationship between Namibia and China through sport, with both Olympic committees committing to promoting the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

The NNOC-CGA said it would work with the Chinese Olympic Committee and Namibia’s national sports federations to identify priority areas and ensure the partnership delivers sustainable benefits to athletes and sporting organisations.

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