Imbuwa’s degree of value to sports admin

Hillary Dux Imbuwa, until recently the president of the Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF), has been awarded the Executive Masters in Sports Organisation Management degree (MEMOS) for the 2023 to 2024 cycle by the University of Ottawa, Canada.

The MEMOS mission is to “help professionals working in national or international sports bodies to develop the knowledge required in order to better manage their organisations”.



Open to all worldwide

Imbuwa’s recognition came after completing a MEMOS scholarship programme mostly funded through the International Olympic Committee (IOC) via its Olympic Solidarity movement.

The programme was endorsed by the Namibia National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association (NNOC - CGA) last year.

The MEMOS programme, open to all sports organisations worldwide, is conducted in four sessions held in various countries.

Imbuwa’s first session took place in September last year in Lausanne, Switzerland. The second session was held in February this year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, followed by the third session in April and May in Malbun, Liechtenstein.

The final session, which included the project presentation and the graduation ceremony, took place earlier this month in Athens, Greece.



MEMOS candidates

The 26th edition of the Olympic Solidarity MEMOS scholarship programme saw a total of 80 applicants from around the world, with only 42 candidates being admitted.

Eight of these candidates were from African countries, with Imbuwa as the sole Namibian representative.

Candidates are selected for the scholarship based on various criteria, including their academic qualifications, professional responsibilities within their sports organisations and proposed projects.

Priority is given to candidates supported by their national Olympic Committees (NOCs), particularly those whose projects have the potential to impact the Olympic system.



Commitment to professional growth

Imbuwa’s project, titled “Development of a Monitoring and Evaluation System in Support of the Communications Strategy of the Namibia Volleyball,” was supervised by Prof. Ian Henry.

Reflecting on his achievement, Imbuwa emphasised that the MEMOS qualification represents a key milestone in enhancing sports management and leadership in the country.

“This embodies my commitment to professional growth and developing effective strategies to address our unique sports leadership challenges,” he noted.

He also highlighted how the skills gained from MEMOS empower him to lead initiatives that foster innovation and collaboration in sports, contributing to the broader goal of building resilient and prosperous sports sectors both in Namibia and across the continent.



Highly competitive

NNOC secretary-general Joan Smit explained that Imbuwa is the ninth representative the committee has sent to the MEMOS scholarship programme.

Although the programme is offered annually, she said it is highly competitive, with only a few candidates selected based on the strength and relevance of their research topics.

“We try to send a representative every year, but out of 206 countries, only around 36 candidates are chosen,” Smit pointed out.

She emphasised that candidates are expected to apply their knowledge upon returning. “Hillary is now expected to implement his research, which focuses on developing a monitoring and evaluation system for the NVF’s communications department. If successful, this system could be applied across other sports federations in the country,” she said.

Smit also mentioned that this year the NNOC sent Namibia Gymnastics Federation’s (NGF) rhythmic gymnastics coordinator, Britt Adonis-Byl, whose first session in Greece concluded yesterday.

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