• Sport

Gladiators deliver gold despite funding blow

• 1 Day Ago

Special Olympics Namibia’s (SON) Unified Gladiators defied a funding setback to claim the Women’s Division Two gold medal at this year’s Unified Football World Cup in Paris, France.

The triumph marked Namibia’s second appearance at the event and second divisional title in as many outings, having also won the Women’s Division Three gold medal on debut in the United States in 2022.

At the time, the tournament was known as the Unified Cup and Namibia’s women’s football team competed as the Special Gladiators.

Held in Detroit, the event’s second edition saw the Gladiators storm to the title after beating the United Arab Emirates 3-0 in the final.

Namibia secured its second appearance after being allocated one of the 12 places in the women’s competition in February, as previously reported by this publication.

Special Olympics International (SOI) allocates participation quotas to each continent based on the development groundwork being done in the specific sport.

SON said the country’s selection reflected the strength of its football programme, annual census reporting, long-term football development plans and compliance with SOI standards.

The tournament, which ran from 6 to 11 July, used the Unified Sports format, which brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities and Unified partners without intellectual disabilities in the same team.

Golden run

The Unified Gladiators were drawn alongside Azerbaijan, Guatemala and the United States in Group B for the 40-minute seven-a-side matches and began their campaign with a commanding 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan.

They later suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to defending and eventual Women’s Division One champions Guatemala. In their final group-stage encounter, they shared the spoils with the United States following a 1-1 draw.

The result left the Gladiators second in Group B with four points, level with the United States but ahead on goal difference, with plus four compared with the Americans’ minus five. They were subsequently placed in Division Two for the medal phase.

In the semi-final, the Gladiators produced another goal-laden display to dispatch hosts France 5-2 and book a gold-medal showdown against Egypt.

The sides played out a goalless draw in regulation time before Namibia held their nerve to prevail 5-4 on penalties. The Gladiators claimed the Women’s Division Two gold medal, with Egypt taking silver and France bronze.

SON director Levien Smit confirmed that the next Unified Football World Cup will be held in Paraguay from 28 February to 4 March 2028.

Smit said the gold medals were largely the result of the year-round sports training offered at SON’s campus at the Katutura Youth Complex, alongside weekly development programmes across the country.

“This victory is a culmination of months of preparations, including technical field sessions, strength and conditioning at Virgin Active Gym, friendly matches, a dedicated training camp and emotional support for athletes,” she said.

Emergency funding

The achievement came despite SON receiving no government funding for the trip, forcing the organisation to dip into its emergency reserves to ensure the Unified Gladiators could compete in Paris, as previously reported by this publication.

The team travelled shortly after the sports ministry informed the Namibia Sports Commission that it was not in a position to consider requests for financial assistance because of financial constraints.

The ministry later clarified that the restriction primarily concerned “unbudgeted events and repeated ad hoc requests”, rather than all government funding for sport, and said already budgeted activities would continue to receive support.

However, Smit confirmed to Sport Wrap yesterday that no government contribution had reached SON yet, despite the organisation having submitted its Paris 2026 funding request and broader annual programme requirements well in advance.

The Paris campaign cost approximately N$840 000, leaving SON with a shortfall of about N$650 000.

The organisation used its emergency reserves to bridge the gap and told Sport Wrap that the financial burden remains. It is now actively seeking support to replenish the fund and protect its remaining athlete-development programmes for the year.

The lack of assistance marks a departure from recent international campaigns for which SON received government support.

SON’s international outings have repeatedly yielded medals, including bronze in unified basketball at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin and silver at the inaugural Special Olympics Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup in Puerto Rico last year.

No govt operational subsidy

Smit indicated that SON receives no operational subsidy from the government and relies heavily on international grants, local sponsors and public support to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“As a mother of a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and someone who works full-time in this sector, I see every day how these opportunities change lives,” she said.

“We have made disability policies and legislation, but there is still considerable work ahead. I will not be satisfied until equal access is no longer something that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have to fight for every day.”

SON also extended its gratitude to its volunteer staff, including the coaches, for their countless hours of commitment. The team is expected to arrive from Paris at 08:10 today at Hosea Kutako International Airport.

Those wishing to support the Unified Gladiators can contact SON at ceo@sonamibia.org or 081 435 0781.

– mariud@nsh.com.na