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Finger in the pie on hefty bonuses for athletes

2018-07-20  Staff Report 2

Finger in the pie on hefty bonuses for athletes
Ah, before we fall victims to the “it-will-get-worse-before-it-gets-fallacy”, let us tackle the modalities around the newly introduced hefty bonuses for local athletes when competing and winning medals at August gatherings. Whilst yours truly is obliged by morals to give the authorities a pat on the back for this great initiative – the brutal truth is that the whole exercise is riddled with flaws. Firstly, we should applaud the portfolio ministry for looking at ways on how the country can motivate and encourages athletes to improve and better their performance on the international stage – let us not put the cart before the horse. Secondly, the conspicuous omission of team sport from bonuses leaves a lot to be desired. A quick glimpse at rugby reveals that this particular code is amongst few best performing sporting disciplines since the dawn of democracy and to exclude the oval ball game from remunerations is tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot. Those who have been entrusted to administer sport should guard against becoming the chauffer effect because they may not comprehend their circle of competence, which could lead to catastrophic consequences when chauffer knowledge is applied carelessly. It’s terribly important to know and understand where the perimeter is; before availing funds for large bonuses for athletes, authorities need to put their ducks in the row and should stop copying ideas from developed nations without considering your own circumstances and strength for implementation of those ideas, brilliant they might sound at face value. Without beating about the bush, it should be clearly understood that there’s an urgent need to overhaul the entire structures of various sporting disciplines if we are to level the playing field. We cannot expect athletes to excel in the absence of proper development programmes – let alone basic sporting facilities. The powers that be at General Murtalla Street should make it compulsory for all its affiliates to have sustainable developmental programmes (blueprint) in place. Set a barometer and appoint people with appropriate knowledge and expertise to monitor the successful implementation of these programmes. Croatia with its pocket size population almost twice the size of Namibia has shown to the rest of the world that success can be achieved with limited resources and not necessarily determined by large population – Nigeria is a case in point, by reaching the final of the FIFA World Cup against all odds staked against them. Finally, the exclusion of team sport from win bonuses is a poorly thought decision and must be looked into for consideration. Simon/Meroro comedy, a blow below the belt The eleventh hour call off of the much-anticipated non-title bout between former undefeated world champion Harry Simon and Vikapita Meroro las left a sting in the tail for local boxing enthusiasts. Boxing fans are left fuming and those who have purchased their entry tickets in advance are demanding their money back. The buck stops with the permanently bungling sanctioning body, the National Professional Wrestling & Boxing Control Board (NPWBCB) and of course bout makers. It’s very sad to read about accusations thrown at each other’s door for the cancellation of the bout between the promoter and the Boxing Commission. The Boxing Commission has been fully made aware of the envisaged bout and ostensibly sanctioned the bout (verbally) on condition that certain requirements are met. Anyway, there are too many conflicting reports as to why the bout was called off, ranging from weight problems and sanction money not being paid on time. I rest my case.
2018-07-20  Staff Report 2

Tags: Khomas
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