NAMIBIAN national cricket player Christopher Coombe is in dire straits and stuck in New Zealand due to the coronavirus and at his wits end as to how to return to Namibia.
Coombe, who has played more than 50 matches for Namibia since making his debut in 2011, went to play abroad last year, first playing in Denmark and then moving to New Zealand in September last year.
He joined Stratford Cricket Club and did very well, helping the team to finish fifth on the log while he also won the most valuable player awards in the T20 and one day competitions.
Coombe’s contract expired at the end of March, but he was allowed to leave earlier and booked a flight through Singapore Air for 19 March, from Auckland to Johannesburg with stop-overs in Sydney and Singapore.
His problems, however, started when he arrived at Auckland Airport.
“Thirty minutes before I was supposed to board, Singapore Air told me I’m not allowed to board the flight, because we were flying through Australia, which had closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. They told me to go to Singapore Air’s offices to file a complaint, and to make sure that I could apply for a refund or credit.
“I went to the office but it was chaotic, there were about 50 people in a small office with only one person working, so I got stranded in Auckland for about five hours, sitting and waiting for someone to help me, but that did not happen.”
Luckily Coombe’s club organised for him to stay with a team mate who lived on a farm outside Auckland, so he moved there and booked a new flight for 29 March, but this, too, did not materialise.
“Air New Zealand sent me a mail saying that they had cancelled my flight, but that I could get a flight credit, which I could use whenever there was a flight available,” he said.
But by then it was too late as the New Zealand government clamped down on the pandemic.
“New Zealand went straight from lockdown level one to level four, which meant that all the possible international flights that I could take without visa restrictions were stopped.
Coombe in the mean time wrote to the New Zealand High Commission in Windhoek informing them of his plight.
He, however, didn’t get a reply and only recently, on 3 May, contacted the Namibian high commission in Australia, when he couldn’t find one in New Zealand.
The Namibian High Commission in Australia did reply, saying that his request had been directed to the high commission for advice.
“I don’t know who to talk to or who can help me anymore. The only thing I can do at the moment is just to wait it out until there are flights happening soon again,” he said.
“I’ve been on the phone with my parents and friends back home trying to talk to flight agents, trying to get things done, but getting flights is just impossible. At this stage I’m living off a bit of savings, while my family and friends have also supported me financially. If I need to start paying rent I’ll probably not make a week, because the living costs here are crazy,” he added.
“But luckily I’m in good hands with great people around here. The club has been paying my accommodation and will make sure I’ve got a place to stay while I’m here, but it would just be great to get back home,” he said.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
