Namibian Sun

SPORT REPORTER



Veya Information Communication Technology (Veya ICT) has partnered with 13-year-old junior swimming sensation, Jose Canjulo, in order to help him realise his goal of competing at the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

Last Friday the ICT firm commenced with a N$170 700 sponsorship agreement for the year and has already provided financial assistance towards Canjulo’s participation at the South African Junior Championships and his attendance at holiday training camps with South Africa’s most prestigious swimming coaches.

The sponsorship covers costs related to training, his attendance to all international competitions and monies related to dietary needs and training gear.

Speaking at the handover on Friday, Veya ICT managing director Winnith Schrywer said the company is passionate about nurturing the next generation of sporting talent, by assisting them to hone their skills and participate in activities to aid their development.

“Talented athletes are often prevented from developing and participating in competitions, due to limited funding; restricting opportunities only to those who have a financially superior background,” said Schrywer.

Canjulo shared his gratitude towards Veya for their belief in his talent and praised the company’s willingness to support him to become the best he can be.

“I’m fortunate to have this sponsorship at this age already and it has given me a lot of confidence to do my level best in competitions,” he said.

Canjulo highlighted the opportunities the sponsorship has already given him, specifically the training sessions with some of the world’s best coaches, the opportunity to compete at the South African junior and Western Province champs, and now the CANA Junior Africa Championships.

“I have learnt so much and I have grown so much,” said Canjulo.

His aspiration is to not only to qualify and compete at the 2022 Youth Olympic Games, but also to compete at the Junior World Championships in 2021. Recently, at the CANA Zone 5 Championships held in Windhoek, Jose won seven gold medals and broke four national age-group records, and was awarded the junior victor ludorm accolade.

He also won four gold and five silver medals at the South African Junior Championships, setting four Namibia age-group records. He also attained two junior world championship qualifying times in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley events.

Now that he has qualified for the CANA Junior Africa Championships, Canjulo has already departed for Tunisia, thanks to the financial backing of his new sponsorship partner.

“Given all his hard work, we are hopeful the upcoming championships will produce medals for Namibia, and Veya ICT would be honoured to be part of that effort,” Schrywer said.

She went on to discuss Veya’s corporate social responsibility philosophy, emphasising the importance of thinking beyond the scope of the company’s operations and investing in Namibian youth wherever possible.

“For us, developing the leadership skills of the next generation is absolutely vital for the future of our country, and we see this sponsorship as partly contributing to that. After all, it takes a great deal of mental strength to become a leader, and this type of mental strength is honed alongside the physical skills that are so important for young athletes to meet and exceed their potential.

“To be a leader in sport means the development of skills that will benefit them greatly outside of sport, and these can subsequently be translated into any setting,” Schrywer said.

She added the sponsorship of any talented young sportsperson can help to create a leader or an ambassador for the future. All it takes is the right level of support.