From the Sidelines: Supporters club, great

THE Brave Warriors Supporters’ Club is no fluke.

These were the words of its chairman, Kayele Kambombo, after the launch of what could be a worthwhile exercise of taking football supporters to Ghana to rally behind the Warriors at the Nations Cup. It is no fluke because they have shown the commitment of planting a serious football spirit among the so often sceptical Namibians, especially in regard to supporting the national teams.They first had a successful club launch and attracted quite a number of people to become members.It has been confirmed that Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb has signed a three-year membership with the club and I should add that he is one of the few politicians who are into sport.Be it football, athletics or boxing, you will find him there.Keep it up Minister, the rest will possibly follow suit.Well, the BWSC’s seriousness was further underlined by the trip they organised for supporters to cheer the team on during the Cosafa Castle Cup in Botswana in August.Now, they are planning to organise a trip to Ghana for at least 200 supporters to do the same thing, of course considering the fact that Namibia has come of age and will be equally competitive like other nations there.I am not the BWSC’s spokesperson, but I am just appreciative of the efforts that these people are putting for the benefit of the football lovers.At the launch of ‘Ghana Here We Come’ initiative this week, Kambombo blasted critics who said that the club will never have any direction and that it will just remain another project on paper.But I think they were proven wrong.It will be good for companies to come on board and support the efforts of these noble football leaders who aim to establish a vibrant, active and successful supporters’ club which can complement the efforts of the national team.At the moment, Namibia is not regarded as small country somewhere in southern Africa, but an equally strong nation that can go out there and upset the big guns.In fact, the Brave Warriors are also big guns in their own right.More members should join the club to ensure its financial sustainability, while it should also serve as a platform of unity and sportsmanship.The club also aims to sow a football culture in the country, which has not been vocal enough when the national teams are in action.For the trip to Ghana, there were suggestions that the club should organise fund-raising events to help reduce the costs for the ones who wish to travel to Ghana.Companies can also assist financially, but as we all now that some Namibian companies only commit themselves if they get something out of it.This is a negative attitude and sometimes this can also be attributed to the poor showing of Namibian sportsmen and women on the international arena, as there is little or virtually no investment which is being made to develop the talents.The BWSC have started something that is truly worthwhile for the future of the national teams in terms of being boosted at matches and I think the corporate world should take note of that.Stop the stinginess and always wanting to benefit.On another quick note, I wish to congratulate the Warriors on their fantastic performances against Morocco and Saudi Arabia recently, as they prepare for the African Nations Cup.The team showed that they have formidably matured and that they are now ready to take on the who’s who of African football.It is no fluke because they have shown the commitment of planting a serious football spirit among the so often sceptical Namibians, especially in regard to supporting the national teams.They first had a successful club launch and attracted quite a number of people to become members.It has been confirmed that Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb has signed a three-year membership with the club and I should add that he is one of the few politicians who are into sport.Be it football, athletics or boxing, you will find him there.Keep it up Minister, the rest will possibly follow suit.Well, the BWSC’s seriousness was further underlined by the trip they organised for supporters to cheer the team on during the Cosafa Castle Cup in Botswana in August.Now, they are planning to organise a trip to Ghana for at least 200 supporters to do the same thing, of course considering the fact that Namibia has come of age and will be equally competitive like other nations there.I am not the BWSC’s spokesperson, but I am just appreciative of the efforts that these people are putting for the benefit of the football lovers.At the launch of ‘Ghana Here We Come’ initiative this week, Kambombo blasted critics who said that the club will never have any direction and that it will just remain another project on paper.But I think they were proven wrong.It will be good for companies to come on board and support the efforts of these noble football leaders who aim to establish a vibrant, active and successful supporters’ club which can complement the efforts of the national team.At the moment, Namibia is not regarded as small country somewhere in southern Africa, but an equally strong nation that can go out there and upset the big guns.In fact, the Brave Warriors are also big guns in their own right.More members should join the club to ensure its financial sustainability, while it should also serve as a platform of unity and sportsmanship.The club also aims to sow a football culture in the country, which has not been vocal enough when the national teams are in action.For the trip to Ghana, there were suggestions that the club should organise fund-raising events to help reduce the costs for the ones who wish to travel to Ghana.Companies can also assist financially, but as we all now that some Namibian companies only commit themselves if they get something out of it.This is a negative attitude and sometimes this can also be attributed to the poor showing of Namibian sportsmen and women on the international arena, as there is little or virtually no investment which is being made to develop the talents.The BWSC have started something that is truly worthwhile for the future of the national teams in terms of being boosted at matches and I think the corporate world should take note of that.Stop the stinginess and always wanting to benefit.On another quick note, I wish to congratulate the Warriors on their fantastic performances against Morocco and Saudi Arabia recently, as they prepare for the African Nations Cup.The team showed that they have formidably matured and that they are now ready to take on the who’s who of African football.