2006-06-16Staff Report 2 "Shooting from the Hip Those who unashamedly sharpened their okapis to finish off Namibian Rugby and in particular, its uncompromising President Dirk Conradie, were made to chew humble pie at the envisaged ""auction"" of the Hage Geingob stadium last week. The multi-million dollar stadium was supposed to have gone under the hammer after the National Rugby Union's apparent failure to settle an amount of just over one hundred thousand dollars, in lieu of services rendered by Humphries Securities. Luckily, there are still some entities who genuinely care for the development of sport in this country and yours truly would be failing dismally in his duty as a journo if the name of local Telecommunications Company (MTC) is not paraded as the real Messiah of Local Sport. As a concerned citizen, I felt obliged to be there in person and I must stress that I was really shocked to find a good number of brandy and boerewors-bellied dudes circling like vultures over a national asset - ready to grab it for a song. Ag shame on you guys - that's just not the style to inflate your already ill-acquired wealth. After all, who would just let go of a multi-million dollar property, which was initially acquired for a paltry N$99,00 (Ninety-Nine South African Rand) at the time - please don't ask me how on bloody earth such a sale could have taken place without basic tender procedures and regulations being applied because my somewhat oversized nostrils tell me there were more of this dubious deals hard at business during the transitional period. If some people really have the interest of Namibian Rugby at heart as they claim - the best reasonable option would have been to establish a ""Fund"" to stave off the auction and save rugby in general, rather than trying to become fly-by-night owners obviously with the primary aim of leasing the stadium in turn for some exorbitant rental fees. More sleepless nights are in store for Dirk Conradie and his troops if one takes into consideration the rate at which Namibian rugby is progressing on the playing field - the end result could prove catastrophic for the Rugby Union in terms of moola. Firstly, Rugby in my opinion should be discussed in the same breath as Soccer, Boxing and Athletics, but unfortunately for some strange reasons this particular discipline, has slipped further down the pecking order and is now basking in the basket of B-Category Sport Codes, while minnows Netball and Volleyball enjoy a bigger slice of the cake in the A-Category. The treatment currently meted out to Rugby must have something to do with its perceived wrongdoings in the past, but alas why dragging poor Conradie into unsettled scores since he was not part of the old regime while those at the centre of the dispute have suddenly become onlookers and would have nothing to do with Rugby until such time darkies make a quick retreat to where they belong and leave the running of the oval ball in the hands of Laanies as a token of tradition. It's also quite surprising the National Sports Commission stood arms-folded without raising a hand when one of its affiliates was facing serious financial woes - fair enough, the Commission might argue that they have already bailed the Union out on several occasions, but so what. After all, was this not the very same Commission who took the Rugby Union to court for outstanding debts? ÃÆ'Æ'ÀÃ...ÃÆ''šÃ‚º And while I decided to keep a healthy distance from football matters, at least for the time being, I just cannot resist a parting shot on the forever bungling football authorities - I'm led to believe the long search for the 'Brave Warriors' coach is at long last over after the Namibian Football Association found their man in Zambian Ben Bamfuchile. And while I give the NFA Executive a pat on the back for finally appointing a national coach - I'm somehow concerned over the Association's failure to officially inform the football loving public through the media about the long overdue appointment. Although the NFA never denied the appointment when pressed for comment by some sections of the media - it would have been proper to unveil the new coach in a dignified fashion. Heita Outies, this dude is running a bit low on bullets and dearly need a couple of jiffies to refill, so until next Friday, I'm off." 2006-06-16Staff Report 2
