One of the leading figures in the Khomas Regional Council’s sports organising committee has clarified that football players who represented the region at this year’s The Namibian Newspaper Cup were selected on merit.
Franklin Chilinda made this statement in response to questions about whether the players were rightfully chosen for the final squad, following the region’s poor performance which led to many questioning the rationale that was used to select the players.
He explained that the selection process was followed correctly.
“We selected the team in the right manner. The constituencies were responsible for selecting the top players in their respective areas. Our focus was on grassroots’ development, giving a chance to those who have not yet competed on that stage. We aimed to test more upcoming players and avoid rotating those who had already played on that stage,” Chilinda added.
Despite the presence of many football academies in the region, he emphasised that their focus was on talent development rather than winning the cup.
They also faced some challenges, such as a lack of sponsorship and limited time for practising, which may have contributed to the team’s poor performance.
“We believed that our core mandate was to develop talent, which is why we decided not to select players who were already established and had enough opportunities to compete at that level. Additionally, we faced challenges such as a lack of sponsorship and limited time to practice together, which I believe played a significant role in our poor performance,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the winning Khomas netball team members were rewarded for their outstanding performances. Each of the 12 players received a pair of shoes and N$1 500 during the welcoming ceremony, presented by Khomas governor Laura McLeod Katjirua.
mkambukwe@nepc.com.na