Chief administrator of the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) Freddy Mwiya has firmly defended the plan to send nearly 204 Namibian athletes, 12 coaches and a team of officials to Botswana for a ‘pre-competition’ ahead of the upcoming Region 5 Youth Games set to take place in July.
Despite some criticism, he believes this strategy is critical for the country’s preparation and success. Mwiya said the decision stems from an agreement signed back in 2020 between Namibia and Botswana.
This agreement aims to foster mutual support and collaboration between the two countries in developing and promoting sport.
Since the signing of the agreement, programmes have been running to ensure continued cooperation.
The upcoming pre-competition is the latest step in this partnership.
“This is not a training camp. This is a pre-competition, where athletes from the two countries will compete against each other in a simulated environment ahead of the Region 5 Youth Games. The agreement was carefully considered. After meetings with all the federations involved, it was agreed that this was the best route to take. We have also roped in Lesotho,” Mwiya clarified.
“The pre-competition event, set to take place in Gaborone, is designed to ensure that Namibian athletes are in top form for the Region 5 Youth Games. Beyond that, to aid in their preparation for the Los Angeles Games.
The competition serves as a vital opportunity to expose the athletes to international standards and refine their skills before the main event,” he added.
In response to concerns about the costs of the pre-competition, he said Botswana has generously offered to cover accommodation and facilities in Gaborone, including access to sports halls and fields.
In turn, Namibia will be responsible for covering the transport costs, including three buses and fuel, as well as meals for athletes. The total estimated cost of the trip is N$150 000.
This cost is significantly lower than the alternative of hosting the pre-competition in Rietfontein, which would have amounted to around N$600 000.
He, however, did not reveal how much it will cost to host the actual Youth Games in Namibia.
Mwiya’s plan has faced criticism from some quarters.
Athletics coach Henk Botha has expressed strong reservations about the trip, calling it “ridiculous”.
He accused the officials of prioritising travel allowances.
He argued that training should take place in Namibia to cut costs, especially given the frequent complaints about a lack of funding.
“When money is available, it’s wasted on unnecessary planning,” Botha said. Mwiya stated that Botha is not on their list of coaches, and has not attended any meetings.
The training camp is planned from 1 to 3 May, with the team expected to depart on 30 April and return on 4 April.
As it stands, 10 countries will participate in the games – host Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na