Month: May 2023

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6th International Microlight Rally resumes after 4-day break due to two aircraft crash

The 6th International Microlight Rally resumed its activities on Wednesday from the Tozeur-Nefta international airport towards Zarzis, to round off the remaining stages of the race with the participation of 24 pilots from several countries, said President of the Tunisian Federation for Aerial Sports and associated activities Maher Attar. The rally had been suspended for four days since last Saturday, following the crash of two light aircraft in which two French competitors died and two others sustained minor injuries. The participating aircraft had taken off from the Tozeur-Nefta international airport on Wednesday for a leg from Tozeur to Zarzis, before continuing from Zarzis to Kerkennah, then from Siliana to Zaghouan to conclude this international event, aimed at promoting aerial sports in Tunisia and encouraging people to discover the country, Attar told TAP. The latter had previously stated that the rally had not suffered any organisational failures, as it had been granted the necessary authorisations by the Ministries of Transport, National Defence, the Interior and Youth and Sport, and had ensured that the aircraft were serviced daily before the flight.

Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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JAP 2023: COJAP president urges participation of youths from different regions in Hammamet-2023 celebrations

Preparations are underway for young people from the 24 governorates to take part in the celebration of the World Olympic Day on June 23 at the Yasmine Hammamet tourist resort on the 2nd African Beach Games (JAP) to be held in Hammamet from June 23 to 30, said President of the Tunisian National Olympic Committee (CNOT) and head of COJAP, Merhrez Boussayene. He added that the celebrations would be attended by national, Arab, African and international sports figures and representatives of the various African Olympic Committees. The President of COJAP also told TAP trips will be organised for young people from all the governorates to attend the Games and take part in the World Olympic Day celebrations. COJAP has called for nearly 300 volunteers to help ensure the smooth running of this sporting and cultural festival. To this end, Boussayène travelled to the governorate of Sidi Bouzid on Tuesday, where he held talks with local governor, Abdelhalim Hamdi, as part of a series of regional meetings to discuss ways of involving the various parties to ensure best possible conditions for the success of this event.

Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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NPC wants top athletes to represent Namibia

National Paralympic Committee (NPC) secretary-general, Michael Hamukwaya, says the recently released International Paralympic Committee (IPC) standing will guide their selection of athletes who will represent Namibia at the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships.

The NPC recently concluded its World Para Athletics (WPA) 2023 European Grand Prix of Jesolo, Italy and Nottwil Grand Prix in Switzerland.

These formed part of the 10th anniversary of the WPA Grand Prix and the NPC used the opportunity to improve its athletes’ ranking ahead of the IPC World Para Athletics Championships slated for France in July 2023.

In an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, Hamukwaya said six Namibian athletes are ranked in the top 10 of the IPC athletics and the NPC will take a team that can compete for podium places.

“At the World Champs in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates, we had 15 athletes representing the country but we only managed to win two medals by one athlete. So we are trying to avoid that from repeating itself,” he said, adding that the NPC will only consider athletes that are ranked in the top 10 to fight for podium places.

He said the athletes not included in the group for the World Para Athletics Championships will still have a chance to qualify for the Paralympics through the African Games that will be held in Ghana later this year.

“We just had a very successful trip to Europe where our athletes had a tough trip in Italy but improved their performances with personal bests at the Nottwil Grand Prix in Switzerland. Our goal is to acquire at least four slots for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and the World Champs, and then at the African Games, we can add more,” Hamukwaya said.

The secretary-general said having a bigger group of athletes does not guarantee more slots.

“We need the best of the best in our team, athletes who can stand toe to toe with the best in the world,” he said.

The athletes that are currently ranked in the top 10 of the IPC are T11 male sprinters Ananias Shikongo and Chris Kinda; T11 female sprinter Lahja Ishitile; T44 sprinter Denzel Namene; T37 sprinter Petrus Karuli; and T13 sprinter Johannes Nambala.

Hamukwaya stated that for the team to perform well at the IPC World Para Athletics Championships, they need to be in camp early to prepare, but due to a lack of funds, that dream might not be realised.

Source: NAMPA

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Application and issuance of MIT permits free of charge

The Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) has said the application for, and issuance of import, export, rebates and transit permits are free of charge.

MIT Executive Director (ED), Sikongo Haihambo in a statement informed the public that applications and issuance of MIT permits are free of charge and that all individuals seeking import, export, rebate, or transit permits should apply on the MIT official website.

This statement was issued after the ministry noticed that some individuals, agents, and groups have been misleading the public and charging them on the applications and issuance of MIT permits.

The ED urged the public to report any activities related to payment for the application and issuance of permits to the ministry.

Haihambo also encouraged the public to seek assistance at any of the ministries’ 14 regional offices at no cost.

Source: NAMPA

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Investing in technology crucial to tourism: Grandcourt

It is imperative to invest in technological development and in human resources by capacitating the next generation of tourism professionals and leaders with strong digital skills.

This, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Director for the Africa Department Elcia Grandcourt, is paramount and instrumental to drive the future of the sector and contribute to the socio-economic advancement of the African region.

Grandcourt while addressing the opening session of the 5th African Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit (AYITS) on Wednesday in Swakopmund, said innovation, technology and digitalisation are an integral part of the evolution process of the tourism industry.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up the urgency to integrate digital technology into the tourism and travel industry to reimagine businesses and destinations, design innovative tourism experiences, create or modify existing business operating processes, so as to adapt to the new conditions and features of the global context,” she explained.

Africa, she added is the youngest continent in the world, with 60 per cent of its population being under the age of 25, which should be an opportunity for the continent’s growth.

“This can only however be the case if these new generations are fully empowered to realise their best potential. It is thus especially important that young people are included in the decision-making processes and given appropriate opportunities and proper means to work and innovate the tourism sector,” the director stressed.

Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope at the same event supported the recently established Africa Tourism Innovation Hub’s main objectives to support the digital transformation in the tourism sector and build pragmatic tourism entrepreneurship programmes that empowers the youth with insight of the tourism enterprises and business intellectual property in formation and access to global travel markets, mentorship and funding opportunities.

Established in Namibia at the 4th AYITS held in Windhoek in 2022, the African Tourism Innovation Hub aims to provide mentorship to enterprising youth from across the continent and transition their ideas into viable start-up companies.

“The Namibian Government has put together a roadmap which is the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (2022-2024), to aid the recovery process of the sector,” Itope highlighted.

Source: NAMPA