By Carlos Kambaekwa & Otniel Hembapu
WINDHOEK – As the year 2014 comes to an end, New Era Sports would like once again to take our readers through the highs and lows of some of our athletes, while also closely reflecting on various challenges currently hampering progress within the local sports fraternity.
Despite the many challenges facing Namibian sport, ranging from maladministration to financial constraints, sports has time and again proved its power to inspire, unite people in a way that little else does, especially in breaking down racial and economic barriers.
Logic suggests that it is better to start with the good than the bad. Thus there is no better place to start than the inspiring achievements of the Namibian government and the country’s football governing body, the Namibia Football Association (NFA), for hosting the memorable 9th edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) tn CAF Women Championship in Windhoek this year.
Lingering questions clouded the ability of the host nation to successfully pull off the continental showpiece. Doubting Thomasses, who perceived Namibia a rookie in hosting events of such magnitude, were proved wrong as our country’s capabilities and unwavering commitment to Africa were clearly demonstrated through the overall organisation of the tournament in every respect of the game.
Energetic crowds cheering for their teams with enthusiastic volunteers who did a marvelous job, ensured that Namibia hosted what will arguably go down in African football history as one of the most professionally organised and glittering women’s tourneys witnessed in recent years.
But above all and most importantly, the games were incident-free. Those unruly football hooligans that many a time take the law into their own hands through the hurling of cans and other dangerous objects onto the football pitch, were nowhere to be seen during the course of the competition.
In other notable achievements, following years of self-inflicted disasters of internal infighting and constant financial constraints, the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU), finally moved up a gear. It now continues to dominate headlines in terms of good administration and general development of the game in the country at all levels.
Testimony to the NRU’s recent achievements is the national senior rugby team’s qualification for next year’s International Rugby Board (IRB) World Cup in England, while the country’s various junior rugby teams, the Under-19 and Under 20s, have all been accorded platforms to gain exposure through their participation in international events like the Junior World Rugby Trophy among others.
But despite all the good developments at the Union, more still needs to be done especially in the areas of securing a headline sponsor for the Union. Given all the commendable good governance we have witnessed since the arrival of NRU President, Bradley Basson and CEO Sybrand de Beer, we remain hopeful that sponsorship problems will soon be a thing of the past for domestic rugby.
Another notable sports highlight for this year was when the country’s sports authority, the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), hosted a gigantic National Sport Conference at the Windhoek Country Club in April that was aimed at tackling a range of issues currently hindering the development of sports in Namibia.
Top on the agenda was the burning issue of transformation in local sports; the lack of adequate funding; good governance and accountability as well as the categorization of various sport codes; physical education in schools and the importance of disability sports. The three-day gathering was attended by more than 400 international and local sports administrators and various sports personalities from within and outside the country.
This year’s other highlight was local boxing “Wunderkind”, Jonas Junias Jonas exploits in the boxing ring, scooping the country’s only silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. At the same event, Para-athletes Lahja Ishitile and Johanna Benson clinched bronze medals in the T12 100-m and T37/38 women’s long jump events respectively.
Namibian Paralympians have in recent times emerged head and shoulders above the rest, as it is so far the only sport code delivering some sterling performances at high class international events.
The athletes have on each and every occasion brought home fruitful results, despite the odds stacked against them.
Para-athletes such as Benson, Ishitile, Johannes Nambala and Ananias Shikongo, amongst other stars, surely inspire aspiring youngsters such as Anna Kambinda and Johanna Katjikuru through their sterling showing and moreover, their performance has inspired the nation at large and in the process, refocused its attention on disability sports.
In football, Black Africa FC rewrote the history books by winning the coveted MTC Premiership title four times in a row, certainly an unbelievable feat.
Just recently, the Namibia Football Association (NFA) elected its new President and executive members to spearhead the Association for the next four years to be led by the new kid on the block, NFA President Frans Mbidi.
Netball Namibia’s failure to negotiate their way through to the Africa World Cup Qualifiers in Botswana was a big disappointment. The formerly powerful Desert Jewels lost all their matches to leave the team with the wooded spoon in the seven nation qualifiers.
While amateur boxers hoisted the country’s flag at regional and international competitions, the same cannot be said about our professional boxers, who gave a lukewarm showing by their own standards during the year under review.
The country’s once blossoming sporting discipline, athletics, seemed to have taken the path of the dinosaur and unless drastic measures are put in place, this sacred sports code could become a delicacy for stray dogs.
As a result of the seemingly unending off-the-field quarrels in local sport, is it perhaps not time for the presiding sports body, the Namibian Sports Commission (NSC) to pull up its socks as a matter of urgency?
The Namibian Squash Association also deserves a pat on the back for organising an excellent world championships on home soil, well done!
On a very sad note, Namibia lost some of its most competent sports administrators in the shape of Quinton Steele-Botes, Piet Du Plooy, Seth Kohima, Abes Goeieman and Leroy Beukes amongst others. May their souls rest in eternal peace.
Namibia’s presiding sports authority should roll its sleeves and start calling corrupt administrators to order, as their unending squabbles will potentially overshadow the good progress made by the innocent athletes.
On that note, New Era Sports would like to wish all our esteemed readers a Merry Christmas and Prosperous 2015 !