Ministry Suspends Financial Support to Sports Bodies Amid Budget Constraints
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC) has suspended all requests for financial support from sports federations and umbrella sports bodies as it grapples with financial constraints, according to an official letter seen by The Updated World.
The directive, signed by Executive Director Gerard Norman Vries and dated 15 June 2026, states that the ministry is currently under financial strain and is therefore unable to consider any applications for financial assistance from sports bodies until further notice.
The letter, addressed to Namibia Sport Commission Chairperson Ms. Turky Ndashilva, instructs the commission to communicate the decision to all recognised sports federations and umbrella bodies and ensure its immediate implementation.
While financial assistance has been suspended, the ministry said it may still consider requests for transportation. However, such requests will only be approved if the respective sports body or umbrella organisation agrees to cover all driver-related expenses.
“The Ministry profoundly apologizes for this state of affairs,” the letter states, adding that the decision was unavoidable due to the current financial situation.
Copies of the correspondence were also forwarded to the Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, , Deputy Minister , and the Chief Administrator of the , Simataa Mwiya.
The suspension is expected to affect sports federations and umbrella bodies that depend on government funding to support competitions, athlete development programmes and other sporting activities across the country.
