Carlos Kambaekwa So, justice finally prevailed after the helter-skelter inclusion of Beata Naigambo in the Namibian contingent to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia next month. The poor girly was almost grounded for some strange reasons only known to Athletics authorities with all sorts of lame excuses being advanced to keep the long distance athlete a healthy distance away from the land of the Kangaroos, and it needed timely intervention from a perceived troublesome journo to call the usually ignorant sport officials to order. Now the fundamental question that needs to be addressed is: why did Athletics Namibia choose to sideline Naigambo from its provisional list of 15 Commonwealth hopefuls, which apart from the far-fetched inclusion of an ineffective athlete, also featured a significant number of untested novices? It was clearly pointed out to Sport Authorities that there was a miscarriage of procedures somewhere along the road regarding the interpretation of qualification criteria – and what does the Commission do – back-paddles and drafts Naigambo into their Melbourne-bound entourage, without providing a valid reason as to why she was initially left out of the team or what has contributed to the sudden nullification of the Commission’s somewhat fragile selection criteria, which appears to be laden with holes. In the meantime, the initial number of four boxers to represent Namibia at this year’s Commonwealth Games has shot up to seven, following another bungling with the laws governing qualification. It is now clear some misguided missiles at the National Sports Commission are not exactly up to date with global laws and regulations governing sport. But alas, these very same “Holy Willies” are very quick off the mark to finger their subjects, whilst they are the Real McCoys in the forefront of all these shenanigans. Let us call a spade a spade, local Sport Associations and Federations cannot be held responsible alone for all the mess leading to the country’s shoddy preparation for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia, and I really hope lessons have been learned from the aforesaid mistakes. Anyway, let me doff my hat for the Sports Com-mission’s positive reaction towards constructive criticism, albeit with the tail firmly stuck between the legs. The Commission humbly bowed her head and took heed of some valuable advice from the watchdogs, unlike those at the Soccer House, who have developed a constant habit of breaking basic rules at every available turn. This week’s draw for the last 16 of the country’s most-sought-after competition, the MTC NFA Cup Competition, resembled a choir without a conductor – the poor dudes were extremely ill-prepared and tried every trick in the book of tricks to bully reporters including those who had the pluck to seek clarity on unclear issues. Clause 13 of Article 6 clearly stipulates that any player expelled from the field of play shall be suspended for the following one match of his team, and depending on the severity of the offence, the Committee shall reserve the right to impose harsher punishment against the culprits. But when asked as to why this particular rule was not adhered to – the self-styled football gurus became flustered while the football fraternity has witnessed a number of supposedly suspended players turning out for their respective teams in the next match. I’m armed with concrete proof and I publicly challenge the doubting Thomasses to prove me otherwise, lest somebody has completely forgotten that suspensions are transferable to the next season. It seems we have learned very few lessons, if any, from the Ole Khiba debacle, that there is still no written rule preventing a cup-tied player from playing for another team in the very same competition, while there are some stupid rules such as clause 14 of Article 6 which spells out the duration of each match – come off it chaps, even Dick, let alone Tom and Harry knows very well that an official football match must be 90 minutes with a 15-minute break in between. Furthermore, the decision to schedule the Orlando Pirates/Deportivo Alaves clash at Otjiwarongo demonstrates a total lack of vision as these two teams enjoy a strong support base in the South, notably Keetmanshoop. It still puzzles one’s mind as to why two Northern teams Oshakati City and Touch & Go are dispatched to Keetmanshoop to battle it out, while Otjiwarongo should have been the ideal stage for this encounter. Football logic and business sense suggests the draw should have been conducted first before the venues were determined, based on the teams’ popularity in the identified regions. Lastly, the arrogant attitude by some football bosses left a bitter taste in the gums of many and was tantamount to biting the hand that has been feeding you – the childish reaction to well meant questions has certainly won you few friends if you had any, and caused a major embarrassment to the sponsors and we as public watchdogs do not always appreciate your dodgy style, watch your steps oaks !!. Holla, this dude is running a bit thin on bullets and urgently needs to do some loading for the time being, so it’s time now to call it adios until next Friday.