Football development workshops at Rundu

THE Namibia Football Association (NFA) in conjunction with the Namibia Schools’ Sports Union (NSSU) will conduct the first ever youth development workshop in Rundu this coming weekend.

The two-day workshop will be conducted by the NFA’s technical director, Klaus Stark, and targets school teachers who are football conveners and coaches of under-17 soccer clubs as well as coaches of women’s teams from both the first and second division. NSSU deputy co-ordinator Rudolph Mupiri said the union reached an understanding with the NFA earlier this year to make use of Stark to conduct youth development workshops countrywide.Stark is a qualified Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) instructor authorised to issue coaching licences, and has conducted similar workshops in South Africa and Afghanistan.Mupiri said the workshop, which is the first phase of the four-year programme, forms part of efforts to implement a licensing system in Namibia by 2011.The second phase of the programme, which will include the introductory course, will be conducted in 2009, while the third phase including C-licence and B-licence courses will be held in 2010 and 2011.The workshop is also aimed at ensuring that by 2011, all Namibia Premier League (NPL) teams are coached by someone with an A licence, with the first-division clubs to be coached by people with B licences.The second-division football teams are expected to be coached by people with a C licence in 2011, Mupiri said.Similar workshops have already been held at Keetmanshoop and Oshakati, while the next workshop will be held in the Erongo Region in three weeks’ time.Yesterday, Stark told the media that at least 60 participants attended the workshops at Oshakati, while at least 100 are expected take part at Rundu this weekend.Stark expressed appreciation for the support he receives from NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro, Brave Warriors coach Tom Saintfiet and NFA executive member Jackey Gertze.He also thanked youth football team coaches such as Kornelius Dominikus for helping him in trying to achieve his goals.- Nampa —- Kaefer ready to fight Ali GERMAN welterweight boxer, Daniel ‘Volstrecker’ Kaefer arrived in Windhoek yesterday for the international welterweight non-title bout against Namibia’s Paulus ‘Ali’ Nuumbembe on Friday.The 23-year-old Kaefer has a record of 16 fights, 12 wins and four losses.Kaefer’s trainer, Uwe ‘Commander’ Schuster, said his boxer has been training for the past five weeks, preparing for the fight.Schuster added that Kaefer had twice challenged for the German national welterweight title, but failed to lift the title against fellow countryman, Maurice Weber of the Universe Boxing stable.Schuster said that Kaefer will start with light preparations today, especially conditioning training, for Friday’s bout.Kaefer, whose nickname means the ‘Finisher’, said that considering Nuumbembe’s professional record of 23 fights, 19 wins, three losses and one draw, he hopes to put up a good fight and not disappoint his fans back home.When asked about his preparations, Nuumbembe, who is the World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan-African Welterweight champion, said he will do the talking in the ring.Nuumbembe then called on the boxing community to come in numbers to support the International Boxing Bonanza sanctioned by the Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (NPBWCB).Telecom Namibia sponsored N$110 000 to the NPBWCB to stage the event.Telecom Namibia’s spokesman, Oiva Agula, said the company spent a lot of money each year on the development of boxing in the country.”Our company’s giving to boxing is not a business deal but an investment for the future, to promote boxing and nurture more champions,” he said.He said they have noticed that Namibian boxing is really making its mark and has shown a vast improvement during the last few years, which he attributes to the efforts of promoters like Nestor Tobias, who is making a revolution in the sport.The fight will be preceded by six undercard fights, featuring some of the country’s best boxers against opponents from South Africa and Zimbabwe.The event starts start at 19h00.The entrance fee is N$100 per person.- NampaNSSU deputy co-ordinator Rudolph Mupiri said the union reached an understanding with the NFA earlier this year to make use of Stark to conduct youth development workshops countrywide.Stark is a qualified Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) instructor authorised to issue coaching licences, and has conducted similar workshops in South Africa and Afghanistan.Mupiri said the workshop, which is the first phase of the four-year programme, forms part of efforts to implement a licensing system in Namibia by 2011.The second phase of the programme, which will include the introductory course, will be conducted in 2009, while the third phase including C-licence and B-licence courses will be held in 2010 and 2011.The workshop is also aimed at ensuring that by 2011, all Namibia Premier League (NPL) teams are coached by someone with an A licence, with the first-division clubs to be coached by people with B licences.The second-division football teams are expected to be coached by people with a C licence in 2011, Mupiri said.Similar workshops have already been held at Keetmanshoop and Oshakati, while the next workshop will be held in the Erongo Region in three weeks’ time.Yesterday, Stark told the media that at least 60 participants attended the workshops at Oshakati, while at least 100 are expected take part at Rundu this weekend.Stark expressed appreciation for the support he receives from NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro, Brave Warriors coach Tom Saintfiet and NFA executive member Jackey Gertze.He also thanked youth football team coaches such as Kornelius Dominikus for helping him in trying to achieve his goals.- Nampa —- Kaefer ready to fight Ali GERMAN welterweight boxer, Daniel ‘Volstrecker’ Kaefer arrived in Windhoek yesterday for the international welterweight non-title bout against Namibia’s Paulus ‘Ali’ Nuumbembe on Friday.The 23-year-old Kaefer has a record of 16 fights, 12 wins and four losses.Kaefer’s trainer, Uwe ‘Commander’ Schuster, said his boxer has been training for the past five weeks, preparing for the fight.Schuster added that Kaefer had twice challenged for the German national welterweight title, but failed to lift the title against fellow countryman, Maurice Weber of the Universe Boxing stable.Schuster said that Kaefer will start with light preparations today, especially conditioning training, for Friday’s bout.Kaefer, whose nickname means the ‘Finisher’, said that considering Nuumbembe’s professional record of 23 fights, 19 wins, three losses and one draw, he hopes to put up a good fight and not disappoint his fans back home.When asked about his preparations, Nuumbembe, who is the World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan-African Welterweight champion, said he will do the talking in the ring.Nuumbembe then called on the boxing community to come in numbers to support the International Boxing Bonanza sanctioned by the Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (NPBWCB).Telecom Namibia sponsored N$110 000 to the NPBWCB to stage the event.Telecom Namibia’s spokesman, Oiva Agula, said the company spent a lot of money each year on the development of boxing in the country.”Our company’s giving to boxing is not a business deal but an investment for the future, to promote boxing and nurture more champions,” he said.He said they have noticed that Namibian boxing is really making its mark and has shown a vast improvement during the last few years, which he attributes to the efforts of promoters like Nestor Tobias, who is making a revolution in the sport.The fight will be preceded by six undercard fights, featuring some of the country’s best boxers against opponents from South Africa and Zimbabwe.The event starts start at 19h00.The entrance fee is N$100 per person.- Nampa