Fredericks welcomes statue

Former Namibian sprinter Frank Fredericks has expressed happiness over the news that a statue will soon be erected in his honour.The legendary sprinter will be honoured with a statue at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek, minister of information Stanley Simataa announced last Thursday.Fredericks is the only Namibian to have won medals for his country at the Olympic Games since independence. He won silver medals in the 100m and 200m races at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. “It is indeed an honour for me to have received the good news of cabinet's kind gesture of erecting a statue of me at the Independence Stadium, as highlighted in the media last week. “I'm truly humbled and honoured to receive recognition of this nature. I would therefore like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the government of Namibia,” he said.Fredericks dedicated the statue to all those who made the independence of Namibia possible. “Being the only Namibian to have received medals at the Olympic Games thus far is an extraordinary feat, which could not have been accomplished without the commitment, dedication and loyal support of my mother, family members, training partners, coaches, sponsors and friends. “I value and appreciate your support, both during and after my career as an active athlete. May this accolade inspire more young athletes to continue to work hard to achieve their dreams. “Nothing is impossible, should you believe and work hard to achieve your dreams,” Fredericks added.The decision to erect the statue was taken at a cabinet meeting held last Wednesday. The statue will be erected in terms of the Public Procurement Act, which governs the government procurement of goods and services. “Having promulgated this Act we have to first ensure that there are people who can offer these services locally and if they are not available, we will then source it elsewhere. “The specifications of setting up this statue will have to be met so that the legendary person that we are honouring will not fall down with the slightest wind. That is why we will look at those who can offer value for money when erecting this statue,” Simaata said. It is unclear when work on the statue will commence. -Additional info by Nampa LIMBA MUPETAMI

Fredericks welcomes statue

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-21

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Fredericks welcomes statue

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-21

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