WINDHOEK – Sport Minister Erastus Uutoni says the time is reap for sport administrators to stop using underfunding and lack of adequate facilities as an excuse for their lack of creativity to create opportunities and platforms for local athletes to excel.

This was the key message when he unveiled a 15-member Preparatory Committee that has been tasked with ensuring the successful staging of Namibia’s first ever Sport Expo in September next year. The committee was unveiled at a press conference in the capital yesterday.

During the unveiling ceremony, Uutoni informed the newly appointed preparatory committee members the ministry in conjunction with the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) has already developed a blueprint around the envisaged Sport Expo but there is currently no funds in the kitty to bankroll the initiative.

But the lack of funds to stage the Sport Expo, Uutoni told the committee members, should not be an excuse for them not to think outside the box and be a bit creative in findings ways to raise the required funds to host the maiden edition of the country Sport Expo.

“As we speak now, there is no money as starting capital for next year’s Sport Expo, but I’m ready to go out there and knock on each and every door for financial and technical assistance, and that should equally be your spirit. These excuses of there are no money or we are underfunded by government and therefore cannot implement A, B and C should stop. It’s time for government to find us halfway, we should become creative and think out of the box when dealing with national projects such as our envisaged Sport Expo. Why should such a beautiful dream like this one (Sport Expo) be stalled because there is no money? We will go out there and look for money and hopefully government will find us halfway,” said an upbeat Uutoni, who at yesterday’s conference donated N$2 000 of his personal money as startup capital for the Expo as a demonstration of personal commitment to a national course.

According to the minister, the Expo will help easy the financial burden on the government by attracting investors to the expo, while local sport federations, athletes and administrators will also have an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences that are mutually beneficial to the various participants. Businesses will also have an opportunity to showcase their products and engage with international and local investors.

Appointed members of the Preparatory Committee are: Freddy Mwiya (Chairperson), Tracy Eagles, Reginald Hinda, Annalisa Jeremia, John Kangwa, Gaby Ahrens, Walter Don, Tangeni Kambangula, Ndeuli Hamutumwa, Jessica Jacobs, Gordon Pokolo, Letu Hamholo, Nico Mwiya, L. Koopman, Armas Shivute.

 Sackie Shikufa, Manuel Carballo and Asser Haradoeb are the three co-opted members of the committee.