Fredericks to the rescue of athletics

FORMER track and field maestro Frank Fredericks stepped in to help solve the current crisis in Namibian athletics when he and other top officials, including the International Amateur Athletics Federation, set March 29 as the date for Athletics Namibia’s congress.

Fredericks said in a statement yesterday that he, IAAF Africa Area representative Leonard Chuene, AN president Alpha Kangueehi and some of the AN executive members and sport consultant Quinton-Steele Botes held a meeting in Windhoek recently. He said they resolved to have a congress on March 29 next year, which will look at various issues that have derailed the activities of the code of late.The congress will firstly deal with the grievances that were raised within athletics structures and by the Government.The congress will also aim to bring Athletics Namibia’s constitution in line with the one of the IAAF and this will pave the way forward for the embattled code.The financial position of the body will also be looked at, with specific emphasis to be placed on the audited financial reports, which have been a bone of contention between AN and the Namibia Sports Commission.Fredericks, who also serves on the IAAF’s Athletes committee, has so far remained silent on the wrangling that has been going in the sport locally and which ultimately reached the level of the IAAF.He is said to have initiated the meeting between all the officials, including Chuene, to hold the congress early next year, while he also aims to find a lasting solution to the infighting in the code.The NSC was put in temporary charge of the code after regional affiliates passed a vote of no confidence in Kangueehi at their congress in Tsumeb earlier this year.The IAAF dismissed the no-confidence vote as unconstitutional and called for the reinstatement of Kangueehi with immediate effect about two weeks ago, despite the fact that the NSC had arranged an elective congress which was scheduled for November 25.He said they resolved to have a congress on March 29 next year, which will look at various issues that have derailed the activities of the code of late.The congress will firstly deal with the grievances that were raised within athletics structures and by the Government.The congress will also aim to bring Athletics Namibia’s constitution in line with the one of the IAAF and this will pave the way forward for the embattled code.The financial position of the body will also be looked at, with specific emphasis to be placed on the audited financial reports, which have been a bone of contention between AN and the Namibia Sports Commission.Fredericks, who also serves on the IAAF’s Athletes committee, has so far remained silent on the wrangling that has been going in the sport locally and which ultimately reached the level of the IAAF.He is said to have initiated the meeting between all the officials, including Chuene, to hold the congress early next year, while he also aims to find a lasting solution to the infighting in the code.The NSC was put in temporary charge of the code after regional affiliates passed a vote of no confidence in Kangueehi at their congress in Tsumeb earlier this year.The IAAF dismissed the no-confidence vote as unconstitutional and called for the reinstatement of Kangueehi with immediate effect about two weeks ago, despite the fact that the NSC had arranged an elective congress which was scheduled for November 25.