Release Unused Sport Equipment
IN A country where the top echelons of society supervise and safeguard elements of division and polarisation, the power and ability of sports to unite Namibians, despite hunger and poverty, cannot be underestimated. Sport criss-crosses various areas such as economic opportunities, physical health and provides immunity from social ills.
Indeed, biologists have long made us aware that sports leads to improvements in physical health, such as weight control, strength building, increased flexibility, enhanced coordination and improved cardiovascular health, as well as pain reduction. Of importance, sports contribution to economic development must be amplified. If properly coordinated sport markets such as activities, equipment, and events can reap sound benefits for this country. It is our 2013 focus that sport is promoted in all 13 regions, 107 constituencies, especially in villages. We will soon enter government sport storerooms with our Minister of Sports, to use the sports equipment that is locked up by lazy bureaucrats instead of delivering this needed equipment to thousands of Namibian youth.
While youth in rural areas convert their socks into soccer balls, real balls are unused and rotting in government sport storerooms. It is in the same spirit that we welcome the N$20 million investment into national football by Bidvest Namibia. This contribution by a Namibian company, apart from other investors in football, is an indication that the beautiful game is set towards positive growth. That doesn’t mean we are oblivious to the need of democratisation and transparency in Namibian football. For a year and about six months now, our country has had to do without a chief administrator of the Namibian Sports Commission. It is unacceptable, to say the least, that such a crucial position remains unoccupied for such an extended period of time following the suspension of Rusten Mogane on 1st July 2011. As such, we have set aside six months of concomitant actions with the ministry of sports and its responsible subordinate structure, to ensure that our country has a chief administrator for the Sports Commission.
Job Amupanda
Swapo Party Youth League