Black Africa honours its top players

BLACK Africa Sport Club held its annual awards ceremony in Windhoek on Saturday, with Eric Aoseb emerging as the football player of the year and Rebekka Goagoses the first-league netball player of the year.

The club has had a successful run, scooping five major football trophies during the 2003/4 and the 2004/5 seasons, while the netball teams also won back-to-back league titles. Goalkeeper Ephraim Tjihonge, who is currently regarded as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Brave Warriors, was voted the most improved player.Tjihonge was also voted the players’ player of the season, showing how highly his team mates rate his reliability in goal after the departure of former first-choice goalie Arnold Subeb due to a knee injury.Tjono Jagger walked away with the most consistent player award.Jagger has improved greatly on the left flank and has also scored crucial goals for the team.His most memorable goal was the last penalty he converted to give his side victory in the final match against Ramblers during the Sam Nujoma New Era Cup at Walvis Bay a year ago.The top goal scorer was Samson John, who has netted some of the best goals for the team in the domestic league and the cup competition.John has blossomed into a deadly striker since joining the ‘Lively Lions’.He was responsible for the total destruction of Civics with two prolific goals during this year’s Sam Nujoma New Era Cup final at the Independence Stadium.Among the first-league netball players, Erenfriede Uahongora was voted the most improved player.In the second league, the player of the year award went to Jane Warner, while Lefty Tjaveondja won the most improved player award.Warner was also voted the most disciplined player overall.Leah Komaheke was the player of the year in the third netball league, while Belinda Kangumine was voted the most improved player.Veteran netball player Helen Oliphant scored another victory by walking away with the players’ player award.In the keynote address, Director of Sport Vetumbuavi Veii said Black Africa was the only team that had players from different ethnic backgrounds since the 1970s.”It was a team united in diversity.One of the objectives of the Government, through the Ministry of Sport, is to build a nation which is united in diversity,” he said.He encouraged the club to continue with its tradition of accommodating players from all ethnic groups.With particular reference to football, he stated that it was time to introduce a professional league in the country.”It is the only way to further develop the standard in the country and bring Namibia on par with the rest of the world,” he said.Veii requested the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) to render the necessary assistance to the football fraternity in their quest to establish a professional soccer structure.The Chairman of Black Africa Sports Club, Boni Paulino, said in his welcoming remarks that the netball club had won almost all the domestic netball leagues and club championships during the past few years, but the players had not been given any change to represent the country at national level.Paulino said the football team had been dominating the locally scene for over twenty years, by winning almost every competition in the country.He said unless the football authorities in the country seriously addressed the issue of a professional football league, “the dream of Namibia becoming a strong football nation will remain a pipe dream”.Goalkeeper Ephraim Tjihonge, who is currently regarded as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Brave Warriors, was voted the most improved player.Tjihonge was also voted the players’ player of the season, showing how highly his team mates rate his reliability in goal after the departure of former first-choice goalie Arnold Subeb due to a knee injury.Tjono Jagger walked away with the most consistent player award.Jagger has improved greatly on the left flank and has also scored crucial goals for the team.His most memorable goal was the last penalty he converted to give his side victory in the final match against Ramblers during the Sam Nujoma New Era Cup at Walvis Bay a year ago.The top goal scorer was Samson John, who has netted some of the best goals for the team in the domestic league and the cup competition.John has blossomed into a deadly striker since joining the ‘Lively Lions’.He was responsible for the total destruction of Civics with two prolific goals during this year’s Sam Nujoma New Era Cup final at the Independence Stadium.Among the first-league netball players, Erenfriede Uahongora was voted the most improved player.In the second league, the player of the year award went to Jane Warner, while Lefty Tjaveondja won the most improved player award.Warner was also voted the most disciplined player overall.Leah Komaheke was the player of the year in the third netball league, while Belinda Kangumine was voted the most improved player.Veteran netball player Helen Oliphant scored another victory by walking away with the players’ player award.In the keynote address, Director of Sport Vetumbuavi Veii said Black Africa was the only team that had players from different ethnic backgrounds since the 1970s.”It was a team united in diversity.One of the objectives of the Government, through the Ministry of Sport, is to build a nation which is united in diversity,” he said.He encouraged the club to continue with its tradition of accommodating players from all ethnic groups.With particular reference to football, he stated that it was time to introduce a professional league in the country.”It is the only way to further develop the standard in the country and bring Namibia on par with the rest of the world,” he said.Veii requested the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) to render the necessary assistance to the football fraternity in their quest to establish a professional soccer structure.The Chairman of Black Africa Sports Club, Boni Paulino, said in his welcoming remarks that the netball club had won almost all the domestic netball leagues and club championships during the past few years, but the players had not been given any change to represent the country at national level.Paulino said the football team had been dominating the locally scene for over twenty years, by winning almost every competition in the country.He said unless the football authorities in the country seriously addressed the issue of a professional football league, “the dream of Namibia becoming a strong football nation will remain a pipe dream”.