Bank pulls plug on athletics

BANK Windhoek has pulled the plug on further sponsorships Athletics Namibia (AN), which has been embroiled in consistent infighting, negatively affecting the performance of athletes.

“Bank Windhoek has, due to various contributing factors pertaining to its sponsorship agreement with Athletics Namibia, signed in September 2003, decided to give Athletics Namibia six months’ notice of the cancellation of the sponsorship. “The sponsorship agreement between Bank Windhoek and Athletics Namibia will therefore terminate on March 8 2006,” a statement from the bank read.The two parties signed the N$2 million agreement in the presence of Minister of Sport John Mutorwa.The bank said in the remaining six months of the sponsorship, it would still sponsor the Regional Championship in Oshakati on October 1 and 2, as well as the Regional Championship in Swakopmund scheduled for December 3.The statement said Bank Windhoek remained committed to the development of athletics in Namibia on all levels, and would actively explore other options to channel funding to the benefit of athletes.The Namibian Sport could not obtain comment on the specific issues that prompted them to pull out from Marlize Horn, head of Corporate Communications and Social Investment at Bank Windhoek, as she was busy in a workshop.But an official at the bank confirmed that another statement would be made next week.The Namibian Sport has established, however, that the cancellation of the agreement was prompted by the recent resignation of sport consultant Quinton-Steele Botes from Athletics Namibia, after he lost faith in the administration of the sport.Botes decided to throw in the towel after the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) questioned the inability of the AN to produce audited financial statements as required by the Sport Act of 2003.Botes was also not on good terms with current AN president Alpha Kangueehi, as they had vastly differing views on the running of the sport.Kangueehi, when contacted about the termination of the agreement, said he knew it would happen as soon as Botes resigned from AN.”The contract was attached to Botes and of course it will go with him.We have no hard feelings about it and we are looking forward to have other sponsors on board in the near future,” said Kangueehi.He said Botes had so far not tendered his resignation with AN and had until today to do so.”We are still waiting for his letter of resignation.We are actually intending to remove him from all the major [international] bodies that he is attached to, as he is no longer part and parcel of the Namibian athletics family,” he said.Kangueehi said Botes was set to lose his status as a Level Three Instructor of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) as well as the African Athletics Confederation.”He is afraid to submit his resignation.If he does not do that by today, I will send him a letter of expulsion from the body,” he said.Botes, when contacted, said he had had already forwarded his letter of resignation to Kangueehi.”Tell him he should check his mail,” said Botes.Botes described Kangueehi “a disgrace to the sport”, adding that he was done with athletics and was past the point of no return.”I am done, I am through, I had enough and now let them do whatever they want with the sport, and I wish them the best of luck,” he said.”The sponsorship agreement between Bank Windhoek and Athletics Namibia will therefore terminate on March 8 2006,” a statement from the bank read.The two parties signed the N$2 million agreement in the presence of Minister of Sport John Mutorwa.The bank said in the remaining six months of the sponsorship, it would still sponsor the Regional Championship in Oshakati on October 1 and 2, as well as the Regional Championship in Swakopmund scheduled for December 3.The statement said Bank Windhoek remained committed to the development of athletics in Namibia on all levels, and would actively explore other options to channel funding to the benefit of athletes.The Namibian Sport could not obtain comment on the specific issues that prompted them to pull out from Marlize Horn, head of Corporate Communications and Social Investment at Bank Windhoek, as she was busy in a workshop.But an official at the bank confirmed that another statement would be made next week.The Namibian Sport has established, however, that the cancellation of the agreement was prompted by the recent resignation of sport consultant Quinton-Steele Botes from Athletics Namibia, after he lost faith in the administration of the sport.Botes decided to throw in the towel after the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) questioned the inability of the AN to produce audited financial statements as required by the Sport Act of 2003.Botes was also not on good terms with current AN president Alpha Kangueehi, as they had vastly differing views on the running of the sport.Kangueehi, when contacted about the termination of the agreement, said he knew it would happen as soon as Botes resigned from AN.”The contract was attached to Botes and of course it will go with him.We have no hard feelings about it and we are looking forward to have other sponsors on board in the near future,” said Kangueehi.He said Botes had so far not tendered his resignation with AN and had until today to do so.”We are still waiting for his letter of resignation.We are actually intending to remove him from all the major [international] bodies that he is attached to, as he is no longer part and parcel of the Namibian athletics family,” he said.Kangueehi said Botes was set to lose his status as a Level Three Instructor of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) as well as the African Athletics Confederation.”He is afraid to submit his resignation.If he does not do that by today, I will send him a letter of expulsion from the body,” he said.Botes, when contacted, said he had had already forwarded his letter of resignation to Kangueehi.”Tell him he should check his mail,” said Botes.Botes described Kangueehi “a disgrace to the sport”, adding that he was done with athletics and was past the point of no return.”I am done, I am through, I had enough and now let them do whatever they want with the sport, and I wish them the best of luck,” he said.