Sport analyst Shaun Gariseb says state-funded clubs are killing traditional sport culture, adding that Namibian Correctional Service’s third consecutive Netball Premier League win is proof of this.
Gariseb says: “What happens is all the best players are recruited in the correctional service – the Namibian Police or Namibian Defence Force (NDF) under the guise of sport. This weakens competition and the ability of community-centred clubs to hold on to top players.
“It happens in men’s football, netball and now also women’s football. There must be regulation around this unfair trend before we lose all our historic clubs.
“These ‘security cluster sport clubs’are funded on tax payers money are destroying sport equality. One season two teams from the NDF qualified for the flagship football league and one from Okahandja had to sell the status because of league rules. Something similar befell Mariental Correctional Facility after they won promotion when ex premier league players were lured away from top premier league ‘clubs’ like African Stars.”
Gariseb says there is nothing wrong with players getting jobs but it’s an unfair advantage being perpetuated.
He says Fifa rules do not explicitly forbid state-funded teams, but they prohibit government interference in the affairs of national football associations.
“This principle of non-interference is designed to protect the independence of member associations, though it has been a point of conflict and controversy when governments become deeply involved in domestic football.”
He says because these players are paid a monthly salary and are absorbed into the government payroll, they create an unfair advantage over community teams that have no sponsor or financial assistance.
“You now have sponsors like PST sponsoring teams like Nampol who already have the government’s assistance. They use government resources to compete with civilians.”
Gariseb calls for regulation that prohibits state-funded clubs from getting external sponsorship, adding that such sponsors should instead assist community-sport clubs.
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