Local Sport Briefs

Football
 NAMIBIAN referee Alex Tiyeho successfully completed the International Federation of Football Associations’ (FIFA) referees physical test in Gaborone, Botswana, on Friday.
 The Namibia Football Association’s (NFA) National Referees Instructor, Edwardht Ndjadila, confirmed the outcome to Nampa on Monday.

Football
NAMIBIAN referee Alex Tiyeho successfully completed the International Federation of Football Associations’ (FIFA) referees physical test in Gaborone, Botswana, on Friday.
The Namibia Football Association’s (NFA) National Referees Instructor, Edwardht Ndjadila, confirmed the outcome to Nampa on Monday.
Ndjadila said Tiyeho had to attend the FIFA Referees’ Physical Test following his failure of the same test done here in the capital on April 24.
Tiyeho is one of the five local referees who failed that test.
Asked what will happen to the other four, Ndjadila said he has to talk to FIFA for another possible test to accommodate the referees who failed.
According to him, NFA president John Muinjo has banned the four referees from officiating at any local matches until they pass their physical tests.
The four are Mathew Katjimune (referee), Arvo Mufeti (referee), Erastus Shilongo (assistant referee) and Sakeus Kweyo (assistant referee).
Ring Ball
A new sport code known as ‘ring Ball’ was introduced in Namibia when a ring ball coaching and umpire course was held in Windhoek at the end of last week.
The course ended yesterday and was attended by two teachers each from the country’s 13 political regions.
The course, made possible by the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) through the Namibia Schools Sport Union (NSSU), was presented by Ring Ball South Africa.
Speaking at the official opening on Thursday, NSC chief administrator Rusten Mogane urged the participants to implement what they will learn at their respective schools.
Mogane said the NSC will assist financially through the NSSU to have ring ball regional structures before concentrating on national teams.
He commended the NSSU leadership for having brought the teachers from all corners of the country to learn this new game and introduce it to their regions.
NSSU chief Solly Duiker said the game is played on a netball court, with nine players a side. It is known as the game of skill and co-ordination, he said. – Nampa
Marathon
NAMIBIAN competitors managed to cross the finishing line at the annual South African (SA) Comrades marathon held at Pietermaritzburg last week, despite failing to make the first top 10 finishers.
Local road running organiser Charles Gordon said Pierewiet Wilders, who was running his first Comrades, was the first Namibian to cross the finishing line in a time of 07:57:52 seconds.
Joe Absai, a veteran Comrades athlete, clocked 09:47:38 seconds, while Willem Andries completed the 2009 edition in 09:39:00 seconds.
Pieter Esterhuizen clocked in 09:58:57 seconds, with Manfred Janik finishing in 10:39:49 seconds.
Carolin Janik and Cecile Blom both did 11:41:27 seconds, which was a first for Janik and a second for Blom.
Hannes Smit from Keetmanshoop finished in 10:20:25 seconds.
Stephen Muzhingi from Zimbabwe won the 2009 Comrades marathon in a time of 05:23:27 seconds.
All Reports by Nampa