After over 30 years of unmatched dedication to the growth and advancement of football, in particular, and sports, in general, as well as the trade of journalism by extension, veteran sports journalist Carlos ‘CK’ Kambaekwa remains a rich source of inspiration in all spheres of life.
The award-winning sports writing doyen and retired footballer was on Monday honoured by the Namibia Football Association (NFA) with the NFA Legends Award for his tireless effort and commitment towards the development of local football at all levels.
Reacting to the award, Kambaekwa admitted he was pleasantly surprised by the conferment of such a prestigious award on him by the NFA, the very same institution he would many a time lock horns with due to his uncompromising stories.
“When I was introduced and called to receive this award, I was completely flabbergasted by the honour and recognition NFA bestowed upon me. I stepped forward to receive the NFA Legend Award with great humility. Many a time, when we do our work, as journalists, we are perceived to be having an agenda or other ulterior motives, but we do this because of our passion and desire to see our fellow countrymen succeed and see our systems and processes working efficiently,” said the veteran scribe.
He continued: “We should continue to share ideas, positively contribute to the development of sports and football in particular, and also not shy away from telling the truth when things are not going well. Journalism has always been and continues to be about shining a positive light on the voiceless and the hopeless. Football and journalism have given me an opportunity to play my part and help where I could. And, I would like to thank the NFA for recognising my work and appreciating that at the end of the day, we are all striving for the common good of Namibian football and the good of our athletes.”
Handing over the accolade, NFA interim secretary general Jochen Traut commended Kambaekwa for his outstanding work as a sports journalist over the past 20 years, especially how he used journalism as a tool to develop, share ideas and expose many shortcomings as well.
“We all did not necessarily like what Carlos wrote about football and its many personalities, especially his stories and columns about the many problems football faced back then and now, but this is fortunately or unfortunately why journalists do the work they do. So, we want to say thank you to Carlos, as we deeply appreciate your work and contribution to our sports society,” he said.
Back in his heyday as a player, Kambaekwa had successful stints with the likes of reigning Namibian champions, African Stars and Hungry Lions, before going on to become the first black player to don the colours of Ramblers FC.
After retiring as a player, he became a distinguished match official/referee and went on to expand his career into the sports broadcasting and writing space, where he excelled with great aplomb.
In the media arena, he would share his insights, analysis and in-depth writing. He was also the head of sports at both the New Era newspaper and NBC TV.
He received numerous awards for his fearless reporting on local football and other sports, and has served on various national committees, including the Namibia Sports Commission media adjudication panel.
He is set to release his highly-anticipated book, ‘The History of Namibian Football’, which will chronicle the evolution of local football since the early 20th century.
- ohembapu@nepc.com.na
Caption: CK Story jpg –