My parents will finally see the medal - Shikongo

My parents will finally see the medal - ShikongoPara-athletes accompany Shikongo home Paralympic gold medallist Ananias Shikongo and his guide, Even Tjiviju, will finally present their medals to Shikongo''s parents this weekend. Para-athletes will on Saturday accompany Ananias Shikongo to his home village where he will show his Paralympic Games medal to the community.

Shikongo and his guide, Even Tjiviju, together with the Paralympic team, will be travelling to the North today where they will have a road show on Saturday.

Originally from Okatope in the Okankolo Constituency, the road show will start at Onathinge, proceed to Onayena and stop at Okankolo village before proceeding to constituency offices at Onyuulaye where the event will take place.

The event will be attended by the constituency councillor, Hans Nambondi, the Oshikoto governor, Henock Kankoshi, and other invited guests.

Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, Shikongo said the wait was over and it was now time for his parents to see what he had achieved.

“I have been waiting for this moment for some time now, so I am just glad that finally my parents will see and feel what their son has achieved, because I even felt that I was immediately supposed to take this medal home when I got back in the country from Brazil but because of the different programmes that have been going on it was not possible,” he said.

He thanked the Directorate of Sports for providing transport and accommodation for him and his Paralympic Games teammates.

“I am grateful that the ministry also values that it is important that I take the medal home where I come from so I would really like to thank the director of sports, Shivute Katamba, who made sure that we have transport,” he said.

Shikongo said a celebration would be held at his parents'' house at Okatope village where his parents, friends and family members will deliver speeches.

Coming from a constituency that is regarded as the poorest in the Oshikoto Region, Shikongo said he purposely organised the event to promote Paralympics in the country.

“I wanted to make sure that I do not only go straight to my parents'' house because I want to show my community members what people with disability can achieve and that if there is anyone maybe hiding their people with a disability, that they see the goodness that we are able to produce,” he said.

KAINO NGHITONGO