Tributes and tribulations to mark opening of Olympic Games and Olympic Truce in Namibia

Not many people know that the Olympics was historically a period of peace in ancient Greece, when warring factions put down their arms and focussed on competing rather than attacking each other.

This ancient Greek tradition of “ekecheiria”: ‘truce’ helped encourage a special environment for the early Games, and ensured safe passage and participation of athletes and relevant officials at the event.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) revived the Truce in 1992, when the first United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution was passed. It is renewed every two years in advance of the summer and winter Games.

In conjunction with the London 2012 Olympic Games, the UK sponsored a record-breaking UN Resolution on the Olympic Truce entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” on 17 October 2011, when all 193 UN member states co-sponsored the Resolution at the UN in New York.

So, with this important dimension in mind, I was keen to mark this peaceful dimension of today’s Games in Namibia – and was delighted to be joined by the Deputy Director of Youth and Sport, Mr Katamba, to plant an olive tree at Windhoek High School on Friday (27 July) – the day of the opening of the Games.

This all sounded easy enough in theory, but in practice involved climbing up a small bank adjacent to the school’s hockey pitch and shovelling earth into a kindly pre-dug hole. On the other side of the bank was a long drop – and it was a narrow bank.

The local media, in full innocence I am sure, kept telling Mr Katamba and I to keep shovelling so that they could get better photographs of our sterling efforts. This we did with great gusto, until I wearily stood up, stepped back and found myself flailing in mid air. Luckily, Mr Katamba’s skills as a sports official extended to lightning reactions and he managed to grab my arm to prevent me performing an impromptu Olympic dive off the back of the bank in full view of the local media.

In contrast, the second part of the event was easy: ringing bellsto

mark the Olympic Truce and taking time to reflect on peace. The tolling of our small hand held bells was magnified by the ringing of church and school bells across the city of Windhoek, as numerous churches and schools joined in the spirit of the occasion and answered our call for action to mobilise the city in support of peace.

The event at the central school was also a good opportunity to pay tribute to the tireless work of Herman and Jeanne Davin in promoting sporting excellence amongst Namibia’s youth. The couple set up the Janine and Suzelle Davin Sport Trust in memory of their talented daughters who both tragically died in a car accident. Their continued links with Windhoek High School and the Namibian National Olympic Committee were the catalyst for Friday’s event and I am delighted that the couple are now on their way to London to watch numerous Olympic events.

As they join the many millions watching the Greatest Show on Earth this year, I encourage all Namibians to tune in and unite behind the incredible achievements of Team Namibia and continue to follow their progress by accessing: http://www.london2012.com/medals/medal-winners/