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About 1,5 million volunteers worked around Beijing during the Games including 100 000 who were easily visible in grey pants and blue and white T-shirts at Olympic venues, manning security checks, shuttle buses, and around venues.
Shaanika (23), who has been studying in Beijing for four years, wanted to be part of the Games so he put his hand up to volunteer, working eight-hour shifts throughout the August 8-24 Games.
"It has been nice to see people from back home and rub shoulders with famous athletes.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said during the Games, while taking a walk at the Olympic Village with a team official from Namibia, which had 10 athletes competing.
"I applied to be a volunteer because I thought it would be an opportunity to get work experience and improve my people skills and it has been great."
Shaanika is one of hundreds of African students at Chinese universities on Chinese-sponsored scholarships as the Asian country seeks to forge stronger relations with Africa.
He is studying engineering at Beijing University of Technology, Transport and Communication and will go back to Namibia next year.
"Living in China has been quite an experience.
I did not have a bad culture shock because I speak the language very fluently.
I learned it for a year before I came here," he said.
"One thing I will take back home is the work ethic.
People here work 24 hours a day and are very committed.
I have learned a lot from that."
PHUMZA MACANDA,
From The Namibian,Nampa-Reuters
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