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07:44Last update on: 13 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Tue 13 Aug 2013
SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf SMS Of The Day * WHY doesn’t NBC listen when they are criticised? The little red chairs on Good Morning Namibia have done their part and are dirty especially at the arm rests. Please listen for once. You interview professionals and internationals on those Food For Thought * MINISTRY of Education, in order to address the shortages of teachers at primary schools why don’t you consider employing us who hold a diploma in lifelong learning and community education for teaching posts? We also did health education Bouquets And Brickbats * MY fellow Namibians, I am not a Swapo member but a third term for President Hifikepuye Pohamba will be a step closer towards attainment of Vision 2030. Believe me His Excellency has made crucial bold decisions, and I don’t regret
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SPORT - GENERAL
| 2013-07-26
Sport Perspective: Laying the foundation
Sheefeni Nikodemus
NAMIBIA is abound with talented athletes. Of that there is no doubt.
Still only a handful of these athletes eventually make the grade due to a combination of factors; the most apparent being access to top class mentoring.
Former boxing middleweight world champion Harry Simon and Olympic track legend Frank Fredericks were fortunate to have attracted the attention of insightful mentors at the start of their careers.
Their craft was refined, something evident every time you saw them in action.
However, most of our athletes lack the basics, which hampers their ability to improve.
This realisation is derived from having seen the Brave Warriors falter at the Cosafa Cup in Zambia or Johanna Benson stagnate at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon.
Benson won a women’s T37 200m gold medal and bagged a silver over the 100m at the Summer Paralympic Games held in London in 2012.
She could only master two bronze medals in the same disciplines in Lyon.
Benson’s rivals have improved significantly since then while she appears to be regressing.
For instance, French athlete Mandy Francois- Elie who won the T37 100m and 200m races, lowered her 100m time from 14,08 seconds in the Paralympic final to 13,70 at the World Championships.
In contrast Benson’s time in Wednesday’s 100m final is 14,35, while she had posted 14,23 in London. Some will choose to blame it on poor form or maybe an inability to deal with the weight of expectation after last year’s exploits.
But the reality is, she has not added anything new to her arsenal.
Similarly, new Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti can only do so much with what he has. The fact is, most of the players at his disposal are too old to grasp new strategies and approaches.
He cannot teach a 30 year-old striker how to score, neither can he turn a 33 year-old into a top defender.
Mannetti’s only hope and Benson’s advantage is youth. The average athlete is largely receptive to the elementary aspects of a sport before the age of 25. At 23, Benson is still malleable. What she needs is exposure to high level coaching in order to fine tune her repertoire.
For instance, Benson’s most glaring weakness is her start, which means she always has to chase down her rivals and in doing so she does not run her own race.
The only difference between new sprinting sensation Johannes Nambala and a gold medal at the IPC World Championships was Ireland’s Jason Smyth – American Tyson Gay’s training partner.
For the record, Gay ranks as the second fastest man in the world behind Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Smyth spent up to eight months in Florida training alongside Gay, while 22 year-old Nambala ran a couple of third-rate races in Germany in the lead up to the Championships.
Nambala, Benson and Co need to be in a similar setup while they still have time on their side. It is the only way they will be able to compete against the elite.
Still only a handful of these athletes eventually make the grade due to a combination of factors; the most apparent being access to top class mentoring.
Former boxing middleweight world champion Harry Simon and Olympic track legend Frank Fredericks were fortunate to have attracted the attention of insightful mentors at the start of their careers.
Their craft was refined, something evident every time you saw them in action.
However, most of our athletes lack the basics, which hampers their ability to improve.
This realisation is derived from having seen the Brave Warriors falter at the Cosafa Cup in Zambia or Johanna Benson stagnate at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon.
Benson won a women’s T37 200m gold medal and bagged a silver over the 100m at the Summer Paralympic Games held in London in 2012.
She could only master two bronze medals in the same disciplines in Lyon.
Benson’s rivals have improved significantly since then while she appears to be regressing.
For instance, French athlete Mandy Francois- Elie who won the T37 100m and 200m races, lowered her 100m time from 14,08 seconds in the Paralympic final to 13,70 at the World Championships.
In contrast Benson’s time in Wednesday’s 100m final is 14,35, while she had posted 14,23 in London. Some will choose to blame it on poor form or maybe an inability to deal with the weight of expectation after last year’s exploits.
But the reality is, she has not added anything new to her arsenal.
Similarly, new Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti can only do so much with what he has. The fact is, most of the players at his disposal are too old to grasp new strategies and approaches.
He cannot teach a 30 year-old striker how to score, neither can he turn a 33 year-old into a top defender.
Mannetti’s only hope and Benson’s advantage is youth. The average athlete is largely receptive to the elementary aspects of a sport before the age of 25. At 23, Benson is still malleable. What she needs is exposure to high level coaching in order to fine tune her repertoire.
For instance, Benson’s most glaring weakness is her start, which means she always has to chase down her rivals and in doing so she does not run her own race.
The only difference between new sprinting sensation Johannes Nambala and a gold medal at the IPC World Championships was Ireland’s Jason Smyth – American Tyson Gay’s training partner.
For the record, Gay ranks as the second fastest man in the world behind Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Smyth spent up to eight months in Florida training alongside Gay, while 22 year-old Nambala ran a couple of third-rate races in Germany in the lead up to the Championships.
Nambala, Benson and Co need to be in a similar setup while they still have time on their side. It is the only way they will be able to compete against the elite.
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(August 13)
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