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Home / NAFPU aids Katupose with N$5,000 for medical expenses
NAFPU aids Katupose with N$5,000 for medical expenses
2018-02-22Staff Report 2 Otniel Hembapu Windhoek-The Namibia Football Players Union (NAFPU) continues to set the tone when it comes to the well-being and prosperity of local footballers. The union yesterday handed over a cheque of N$5,000 to Brave Warriors highflier striker Muna Katupose to cover his medical expenses. Katupose, who plies his trade for the University of Namibia (Unam) Football Club in the country’s topflight league, the MTC Namibia Premier League, suffered a serious knee injury last November, which subsequently led to his omission from the national team squad that represented Namibia at the recent 2018 CHAN tournament in Morocco. The 29-year old striker suffered the knee wound while on duty at Unam during their league clash against Gobabis-based club Young African and has since been on the sidelines nursing the niggling injury, which almost threatened his blossoming career. NAFPU’s N$5,000 financial aid is primarily aimed at assisting Katupose with his medical expenses and other related costs, especially when consulting private doctors and a physiotherapist. Briefing the media at yesterday’s press conference, Katupose said he has so far paid off the bills of one of the specialists that attended to his injury, while his club Unam assisted with the physiotherapist expenses. He however says NAFPU’s financial assistance will go a long way in further ensuring that he gets back at full speed in order to represent the country in upcoming games and also his club in the heated league title race. Katupose said he was confident he would soon be back in action as all the doctors that attended to his injury gave him the green light to dream further as his injury is apparently not as scary as it first appeared. He added that Brave Warriors mentor Ricardo Mannetti and Unam gaffer Ronnie Kanalelo, as well as his national teammates, all kept constant communication with him during the dark days. On his part, NAFPU secretary general Olsen Kahiriri said it is disappointing that national heroes are left to face problems related to their footballing career on their own when they hit hard times, but was however quick to remind local footballers that NAFPU is there to guide, advise and act as a shoulder to lean on when the going gets tough. Kahiriri said the union and its entire leadership are willing and ready to work hand in glove with the Namibia Premier League (NPL) and Namibia Football Association (NFA) in order to make sure the well-being and future of local footballers are well taken care of, while also providing much-needed social safety nets for footballers across all spectrums. “Today we want to use Muna as an example that a player playing at the highest level can also go through such hardship, but with proper structures and good leadership in place, players won’t have to go through this. NAFPU is here to make sure the exploitation of players, and poor social care, are totally rooted out. Prosperity, health and safety are paramount to us as a union,” said the outspoken Kahiriri. 2018-02-22Staff Report 2
