Dawids on NFA presidency

THE Namibia Football Association will elect a new president tomorrow.Earlier we ran an interview with one of the candidates, John Muinjo, AND today we bring you an interview with the other candidate, Hendrik Dawids.

The Namibian’s sports reporter CORRY IHUHUA spoke to Dawids and here is what he had to say. For how long have you been serving football and what are your current portfolios outside Namibian football? After I stopped playing for Blue Waters Football Club, I took a while before I became actively involved in its leadership in 2001; and since then we have seen a flurry of successes and innovations taking place in the team in a short period of time.I am currently the Chairman and owner of Blue Waters FC.I am also the Chairman of the Erongo Region Football League.I am also the member of the Premier League Board of Governors since the inception of this body.In what way do you think you will serve Namibian football better than your opponent, John Muinjo? I will revisit the current NFA / Fifa development plan adopted in 2003.While reviving and speeding up that plan, I will ensure that the following takes place: Capacity building at all levels of football; Decentralisation of decision-making and running of the game to the regions wherever it is relevant; and Ensuring that the core functions at the Soccer House are delivered effectively and within the required deadlines.What are the major three problems that Namibian football faces and give three distinct ways how you intend to solve them.Lack of adequate financial resources to bankroll the programmes and the vision of the NFA leadership.I am therefore a strong proponent of the idea that an independent corporate division must be established for the NFA to compete as an organisation for the opportunities in the business sector.This arm must have its own CEO and reputable board of directors who must be sourced from both the political and the business world.Diversification of our income stream is the answer.I believe the Premier League must receive bigger sponsorship, while the two first divisions must be brought on par in terms of financing, coaching development and administration in order to create a bigger pool of selection base for national players.Funding for the NFA has been a problem over the years.How do you want to make the association profitable? Diversifying the NFA’s income stream through a well-structured business arm with clear corporate goals and strategies will do the trick.We will also look at commercialising our marketing domain.We are already working on the concept of a “Soccer Studio” – a radio station which will run broadcasting on all football activities at all levels.The Namibia Premier League is the backbone of domestic football.How do you want to see the NPL run and what major changes should be made? The NPL must move out of Soccer House, get bigger sponsorship and become a profitable organisation.I envision at least the following: Every NPL coach to have an A-licence, every NPL club to have basic office infrastructure, while trying to get their own stadiums in future.Every NPL club to have an international development partner in a professional club; and every NPL club to be assisted financially to have their own youth structures in place.Every NPL club must have their own transport in the form of at least a 25-seater bus.Those are basic attributes of a professional club.Dawids on NFA presidencyTHE ultimate achievers on the sporting front for the 2006 season will be honoured tonight in what is expected to be a glittering event.Despite the glitter tonight at the Safari Court Hotel and all the hype that went into building up to this event, Namibian sportsmen and women know deep down in their hearts that this year was nowhere near an excellent one.Namibia had a relatively poor year in yielding results on especially the international arena, while the infighting between administrators in several codes dragged the name of some codes through the mud.Individual athletes such as long-distance runner Hilaria Johannes, cyclist Heletje van Staden and boxers Japhet Uutoni and Paulus Moses are in my mind the only people who stood out this time around.They were remarkable in their disciplines and they can go into tonight’s awards with their heads held high and surely they need to be rewarded.Apart from them, I am very impressed by two 15-year-old athletes who have brought home the majority of the 58 medals so far obtained in archery from international participation since 2004.Henk van Blerk and Francois Marais are possibly the youngest Namibians ever nominated for the junior sportsmen of the year awards and they are in a close contest for it.Both have won several medals in both the target and field archery, especially on regional level.They have also not disappointed on international level with Marais taking gold at the field archery champs in Australia, while van Blerk obtained bronze at the same event.I am mentioning this because some smaller codes are overshadowed by the major codes such as football, rugby or cricket and it is important for they too get recognition.Van Blerk was runner-up in that category last year and his consistency in the sport makes him eligible to claim the title.Further than that, it was a disappointing year for especially cricket after they failed to qualify for the World Cup, a terrible year for football with squabbles characterising the inability of the leaders to resolve recurring issues and a pathetic year for athletics, which brought nothing to the table.The leadership crisis was the highlight instead of performances from the athletes.No need to go into the politics of rugby, which is currently on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup in France, but it will be worth to mention that the women’s football side did the country proud by being the second best in southern Africa behind Banyana Banyana.To cap it all, it has not been a good year for Namibian sport and the fights between administrators should be brought to an end for the sake of the athletes.Despite the poor run on performances, Namibian political leaders, sport officials, administrators, athletes, players and the general public should understand that there will never be good results from international competitions if our development base is not right.In this country, Government and the private sector spend too little on the development of athletes or players in various disciplines.It is high time that this is done because if there are good development programmes in place, it will lead to a consistent set-up of athletes or players going through the ranks and ultimately elite athletes who can compete against the best in the world.Just think about it.On the upcoming Namibia Football Association (NFA) congress tomorrow, I believe the race will be extremely tough for the contenders for presidency, as both have been lobbying for votes during the past two months.I just hope that the elections will be free, fair and most importantly transparent.The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has the task to ensure a smooth election process and also to unveil the new leadership which will include the president, vice president, treasurer and a six member executive committee.In my opinion, I don’t mind who wins the elections tomorrow, but whoever comes in as president should see if he can match the following traits: Honesty, credibility, selflessness, vision, ambition and most importantly, a hard-worker.The point here is, let the new man drive football in a progressive direction which will be beneficial to especially the players.May the best man win! The Government is the biggest financial contributor to football apart from Fifa.Do you have any ideas on how to source more sponsorships to the domestic league, the national teams and the activities of the association in general? Yes.Sponsorship will come once we have the right basics in place.We must come up with a marketing plan at all levels: clubs, leagues, national teams, development programmes etc.We must improve on the current publicity football gets, even if we have to bring in our own national and international media vehicles.In addition to the “Soccer Studio”, we must have strategic television programmes on a regular basis, while running comprehensive weekly football supplements with our partners like The Namibian.How do you intend to position the NFA in attaining credibility as the mother body of football and what type of individuals would you want to surround yourself with in achieving this? I will maintain an open and honest relationship with all our core stakeholders: the regions, NPL, First Divisions, the Consortium and the Government.I will make transparency and competence the core attributes around which the NFA will evolve.I will never hire incompetent people to be my functionaries in the NFA.What are your biggest achievements as a football administrator so far? Establishing a semi-professional setup in Blue Waters FC.Hiring a reputable foreign coach for a local club, Shepherd Murape, and the bilateral agreement for development of players between Blue Waters FC and FC Luzerne of Switzerland signed in 2004.What makes you stand out as the best candidate to become president of the Namibia Football Association? Accomplished corporate leadership skills, including hiring productive staff, with proven milestones in the business world.An accomplished leadership at club level as chairman and architect of Blue Waters’ rise to success and glory.Leadership experience at regional football level as well as being a chairman of the Erongo region Football League.If elected as president, how do you see the future of Namibian football (domestic league and national teams) by 2010? Strong and well-funded leagues that will ensure competitive development of our best players.Intensified and targeted development programmes aimed at: SA 2010 and Brazil 2014 World Cups, London 2012 Olympic Games (u/23), African Nations Cups 2008, 2010 and 2012 and a top-50 ranking on the Fifa list within the next four years.If half of the above targets are met, we will be well on track.For how long have you been serving football and what are your current portfolios outside Namibian football? After I stopped playing for Blue Waters Football Club, I took a while before I became actively involved in its leadership in 2001; and since then we have seen a flurry of successes and innovations taking place in the team in a short period of time.I am currently the Chairman and owner of Blue Waters FC.I am also the Chairman of the Erongo Region Football League.I am also the member of the Premier League Board of Governors since the inception of this body.In what way do you think you will serve Namibian football better than your opponent, John Muinjo? I will revisit the current NFA / Fifa development plan adopted in 2003.While reviving and speeding up that plan, I will ensure that the following takes place: Capacity building at all levels of football; Decentralisation of decision-making and running of the game to the regions wherever it is relevant; and Ensuring that the core functions at the Soccer House are delivered effectively and within the required deadlines.What are the major three problems that Namibian football faces and give three distinct ways how you intend to solve them.Lack of adequate financial resources to bankroll the programmes and the vision of the NFA leadership.I am therefore a strong proponent of the idea that an independent corporate division must be established for the NFA to compete as an organisation for the opportunities in the business sector.This arm must have its own CEO and reputable board of directors who must be sourced from both the political and the business world.Diversification of our income stream is the answer.I believe the Premier League must receive bigger sponsorship, while the two first divisions must be brought on par in terms of financing, coaching development and administration in order to create a bigger pool of selection base for national players.Funding for the NFA has been a problem over the years.How do you want to make the association profitable? Diversifying the NFA’s income stream through a well-structured business arm with clear corporate goals and strategies will do the trick. We will also look at commercialising our marketing domain.We are already working on the concept of a “Soccer Studio” – a radio station which will run broadcasting on all football activities at all levels.The Namibia Premier League is the backbone of domestic football.How do you want to see the NPL run and what major changes should be made? The NPL must move out of Soccer House, get bigger sponsorship and become a profitable organisation.I envision at least the following: Every NPL coach to have an A-licence, every NPL club to have basic office infrastructure, while trying to get their own stadiums in future.Every NPL club to have an international development partner in a professional club; and every NPL club to be assisted financially to have their own youth structures in place.Every NPL club must have their own transport in the form of at least a 25-seater bus.Those are basic attributes of a professional club. Dawids on NFA presidencyTHE ultimate achievers on the sporting front for the 2006 season will be honoured tonight in what is expected to be a glittering event.Despite the glitter tonight at the Safari Court Hotel and all the hype that went into building up to this event, Namibian sportsmen and women know deep down in their hearts that this year was nowhere near an excellent one.Namibia had a relatively poor year in yielding results on especially the international arena, while the infighting between administrators in several codes dragged the name of some codes through the mud.Individual athletes such as long-distance runner Hilaria Johannes, cyclist Heletje van Staden and boxers Japhet Uutoni and Paulus Moses are in my mind the only people who stood out this time around.They were remarkable in their disciplines and they can go into tonight’s awards with their heads held high and surely they need to be rewarded.Apart from them, I am very impressed by two 15-year-old athletes who have brought home the majority of the 58 medals so far obtained in archery from international participation since 2004.Henk van Blerk and Francois Marais are possibly the youngest Namibians ever nominated for the junior sportsmen of the year awards and they are in a close contest for it.Both have won several medals in both the target and field archery, especially on regional level.They have also not disappointed on international level with Marais taking gold at the field archery champs in Australia, while van Blerk obtained bronze at the same event.I am mentioning this because some smaller codes are overshadowed by the major codes such as football, rugby or cricket and it is important for they too get recognition.Van Blerk was runner-up in that category last year and his consistency in the sport makes him eligible to claim the title.Further than that, it was a disappointing year for especially cricket after they failed to qualify for the World Cup, a terrible year for football with squabbles characterising the inability of the leaders to resolve recurring issues and a pathetic year for athletics, which brought nothing to the table.The leadership crisis was the highlight instead of performances from the athletes.No need to go into the politics of rugby, which is currently on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup in France, but it will be worth to mention that the women’s football side did the country proud by being the second best in southern Africa behind Banyana Banyana.To cap it all, it has not been a good year for Namibian sport and the fights between administrators should be brought to an end for the sake of the athletes.Despite the poor run on performances, Namibian political leaders, sport officials, administrators, athletes, players and the general public should understand that there will never be good results from international competitions if our development base is not right.In this country, Government and the private sector spend too little on the development of athletes or players in various disciplines.It is high time that this is done because if there are good development programmes in place, it will lead to a consistent set-up of athletes or players going through the ranks and ultimately elite athletes who can compete against the best in the world.Just think about it.On the upcoming Namibia Football Association (NFA) congress tomorrow, I believe the race will be extremely tough for the contenders for presidency, as both have been lobbying for votes during the past two months.I just hope that the elections will be free, fair and most importantly transparent.The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has the task to ensure a smooth election process and also to unveil the new leadership which will include the president, vice president, treasurer and a six member executive committee.In my opinion, I don’t mind who wins the elections tomorrow, but whoever comes in as president should see if he can match the following traits: Honesty, credibility, selflessness, vision, ambition and most importantly, a hard-worker.The point here is, let the new man drive football in a progressive direction which will be beneficial to especially the players.May the best man win! The Government is the biggest financial contributor to football apart from Fifa.Do you have any ideas on how to source more sponsorships to the domestic league, the national teams and the activities of the association in general? Yes.Sponsorship will come once we have the right basics in place.We must come up with a marketing plan at all levels: clubs, leagues, national teams, development programmes etc.We must improve on the current publicity football gets, even if we have to bring in our own national and international media vehicles.In addition to the “Soccer Studio”, we must have strategic television programmes on a regular basis, while running comprehensive weekly football supplements with our partners like The Namibian. How do you intend to position the NFA in attaining credibility as the mother body of football and what type of individuals would you want to surround yourself with in achieving this? I will maintain an open and honest relationship with all our core stakeholders: the regions, NPL, First Divisions, the Consortium and the Government.I will make transparency and competence the core attributes around which the NFA will evolve.I will never hire incompetent people to be my functionaries in the NFA.What are your biggest achievements as a football administrator so far? Establishing a semi-professional setup in Blue Waters FC.Hiring a reputable foreign coach for a local club, Shepherd Murape, and the bilateral agreement for development of players between Blue Waters FC and FC Luzerne of Switzerland signed in 2004.What makes you stand out as the best candidate to become president of the Namibia Football Association? Accomplished corporate leadership skills, including hiring productive staff, with proven milestones in the business world.An accomplished leadership at club level as chairman and architect of Blue Waters’ rise to success and glory.Leadership experience at regional football level as well as being a chairman of the Erongo region Football League.If elected as president, how do you see the future of Namibian football (domestic league and national teams) by 2010? Strong and well-funded leagues that will ensure competitive development of our best players.Intensified and targeted development programmes aimed at: SA 2010 and Brazil 2014 World Cups, London 2012 Olympic Games (u/23), African Nations Cups 2008, 2010 and 2012 and a top-50 ranking on the Fifa list within the next four years.If half of the above targets are met, we will be well on track.