By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK
The Deputy Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture Pohamba Shifeta says there is an urgent need for Namibia to revisit its Policy on Sport.
Shifeta was reacting to questions over the plight of professional boxers who have been struggling to get financial assistance from the country’s sports authorities as the Policy does not make any provisions for professional athletes.
“I know and fully understand the situation in which our professional boxers find themselves entangled, but policies are not cast in stone and the current scenario surely dictates that we must take care of our most prized assets including professional athletes.”
Shifeta added that while he could not reveal any details at this moment in time, the line Ministry has set up a Committee to look at ways on how to adjust the Sport Policy in an effort to facilitate local professional athletes.
Former Commonwealth Welterweight champion Paulus “Ali” Nuumbembe is in an upbeat mood ahead of his much- publicized WBA Pan-African Title fight against defending champion Welcome Ntshangila of South Africa. The 12-round bout is pencilled in for the 20th of this month at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino with several under cards on the menu.
“I’m in good shape and surely needed the break from boxing to get used to the climate after spending many years in the United Kingdom where the weather is terrible, and I also needed to adjust to the new training methods applied by my new trainer Nestor Tobias,” said Nuumbembe.
The bout was postponed twice because of unforeseen circumstances but Nuumbembe is not too much worried about those hiccups and is determined to set the record straight.