2018-08-03Staff Report 2 The accepted definition of “foul play in shades in grey” is the art of winning sport contests without actually cheating. Many a sporting administrator has definite ways and strategies to neutralize the opponent while gaining a mental edge in a manner that does not constitute cheating. The dilemma in which Namibian athletes and others found themselves entangled at Lagos Airport, Nigeria, has all to do with mind games by the host nation. If, for instance, an element of doubt is systematically placed on your opponent through nauseating delaying tactics making them impatient, it could ultimately lead to imprecision, so to speak. Mind games disprove the old adage that “sticks and stones may crush my bones but ‘witties’ can never harm me”. Truth be told, words applied offensively and aggressively can be damn harmful and devastating, causing serious physiological damage to one’s overall confidence and ability to perform to your maximum level. Charity begins at home, is Von Trotha still relevant? The growing popularity of local horse racing gatherings is being taken to another level, so to speak. Yours truly has been following this particular equestrian sporting discipline for quite some time, with keen interest, and must admit that attendance at these races surpasses all other major sports events, including the beautiful game, boxing and the oval ball game of rugby. A large chunk of horse racing enthusiasts are descendants of the Ovaherero community, Rehoboth Basters and the Batswana Ba Namibia folk. But before we get carried away, let us take into consideration these are one-off events, staged sporadically, and one doubts whether it would attract the same number of people if it was to be held on every other weekend like the abovementioned sports codes, boxing aside. What I’ve taken note of is that piles of those who descend on these horse racing events are more interested in the come-together effect (mingling) - not necessarily the real McCoy: watching galloping horses grill each other on the dusty racetrack. There are also a few interesting tales to this particular recreational pastime – horse owners have come up with all sorts of names for their animals, ranging from Starlile to Swaai Rokkie but the name that caught my attention was Von Trotha – a much despised name linked to the notorious German intruder Lothar von Trotha. The latter was the mastermind behind the extermination of the Ovaherero/Ovambanderu and Nama tribes during the genocide atrocities. It’s a great pity that we still have some blindfolded blokes in our midst worshiping undesirable elements such as Von Trotha whilst one hardly finds a modern day “Jerry” going by the name of Adolf (Hitler). This is notwithstanding the ongoing marathon court case between the offspring of the genocide victims and the hardcore German authorities, which has captured the imagination of a global audience. Wake up and smell the java, charity begins at home Boeta !!. Well, if my ageing memory serves me correctly, there were loud calls for the removal of a street named after Von Trotha in the City of Windhoek. I rest my case. 2018-08-03Staff Report 2
