MP pleads for investment in sport

NATIONAL Council MP Peya Mushelenga has called on businesses to support sport in the regions, especially in the North.

Launching the Koneh Soccer Tournament in Oshakati on Saturday, Mushelenga said without financial support, hidden sport talents in the regions would never be exposed and sport would die in many of the regions. Two young entrepreneurs in the Oshana Region, Henok Nantanga and Fanuel Shipanga, sponsored the Koneh soccer tournament to the tune of N$20 000.Sixteen soccer teams from the Oshana region will participate in the tournament, which will be played on a knock-out basis over three weekends, starting on July 16.The date of the final match has not yet been announced.Mushelenga said more than half of the Namibian population live in the northern regions, but their participation in national sports is minimal because of financial constraints.He said some well-known soccer teams were dying because of a lack of financial support.Moreover, there were many talented young players in the northern regions who never got an opportunity to play for the national side.Mushelenga further said that the Namibian Football Association (NFA) should be a controversy-free organisation to attract more sponsorships.”In some institutions, people often waste time on unnecessary internal squabbles at the expense of … the beneficiaries of such institutions.It is my wish that the NFA does not fall into [this] trap of conflict and division, as this will not serve the interest of our people and sport,” Mushelenga said.”Sport makes a meaningful contribution to our society, as it promotes lasting friendships, good networking, provides entertainment and hence keeps our youth away from boredom, hopelessness and other forms of retrogressive trends,” he said.Two young entrepreneurs in the Oshana Region, Henok Nantanga and Fanuel Shipanga, sponsored the Koneh soccer tournament to the tune of N$20 000.Sixteen soccer teams from the Oshana region will participate in the tournament, which will be played on a knock-out basis over three weekends, starting on July 16.The date of the final match has not yet been announced.Mushelenga said more than half of the Namibian population live in the northern regions, but their participation in national sports is minimal because of financial constraints.He said some well-known soccer teams were dying because of a lack of financial support.Moreover, there were many talented young players in the northern regions who never got an opportunity to play for the national side.Mushelenga further said that the Namibian Football Association (NFA) should be a controversy-free organisation to attract more sponsorships.”In some institutions, people often waste time on unnecessary internal squabbles at the expense of … the beneficiaries of such institutions.It is my wish that the NFA does not fall into [this] trap of conflict and division, as this will not serve the interest of our people and sport,” Mushelenga said.”Sport makes a meaningful contribution to our society, as it promotes lasting friendships, good networking, provides entertainment and hence keeps our youth away from boredom, hopelessness and other forms of retrogressive trends,” he said.