Namibia Launches Major Regional Wrestling Event to Boost Development and Global Recognition. The Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF) has officially launched the 2025 Namib Storm Training Camp and the SADC Open Championships, a dual initiative designed to advance wrestling across Southern Africa.
Announced at Olympic House in Windhoek, NWF President Colin Steytler emphasized the significance of the event, scheduled to take place from 30 June to 5 July at the Windhoek Showgrounds. He described it as a unifying moment for grassroots, elite, and development-level wrestling.
The first phase, known as Namib Storm Wrestling Week (30 June – 3 July), is a high-performance training programme featuring advanced coaching and referee education. For the first time, Namibia will host Level 3 coaching and Level 2 refereeing courses, facilitated by United World Wrestling (UWW).
The training camp leads into the SADC Open Championships on 4 July, which will welcome top athletes from regional countries including Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Many are established continental medalists. Notably, this year’s championship is the first UWW-rated tournament in Southern Africa, allowing both athletes and referees to gain international ranking points.
The event concludes on 5 July with a beach wrestling competition, part of UWW’s push to globalize the sport through accessible formats. Namibia will further this effort by hosting its first official beach wrestling tournament in Swakopmund on 7 December.
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