Netball boss Garoes blasts NSC over funding

NAMIBIA’S netball chief, Carol Garoes, yesterday accused the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) of holding the sport hostage by not releasing development funds for the advancement of the code, which once flourished in the country.

Garoes launched the attack to the commission, which primarily channels funds to the various sport codes for different purposes, ahead of the association’s annual congress due on April 1. The All Namibia Netball Association (ANNA), according to Garoes, needs funding for netball development in the regions.ANNA is expected to receive at least N$45 000 from the NSC and in turn intends to allocate N$1 500 to each region.She said ANNA wanted to give each region N$1 500, but since no region could afford to pay its affiliation fees, it has decided to deduct N$400 to cater for that.”They are keeping us at ransom.At the moment the regions are idle and we are supposed to have a congress soon, while we are also supposed to put together an under-20 team which has to prepare for the Youth Games in two months’ time,” she said.NSC chief administrator Rusten Mogane says there is no way that ANNA will receive any funding before the congress takes place in April.”They have to go for elections and put in place a new committee before money is made available for any development purpose or national team activities,” he said.Mogane said the decision was based on the findings of the NSC and the Ministry of Sport after an investigation into ANNA’s inactive leadership, under-performing national teams, lack of communication and the general administration of the game in the country.Mogane said ANNA wanted to hold a workshop ahead of the congress to iron out constitutional issues, while they also wanted to elect a new committee to run the body, as the current members are not working as a team.”This is unrealistic in view of the upcoming congress.They cannot have a new committee in place for a few weeks and then go for elections for another one again.It does not make sense.The congress should decide on the new leadership before funds can be released,” he said.”We cannot just dish out money to each and everyone.We are accountable to the Government because in the end, we have to explain to the minister why we have spent the funds on a workshop instead of a congress,” he said.Garoes, whose term of office expires on March 31, said the NSC had never explained its intentions regarding the funding to the association.”They have kept us in the dark and we don’t know where we stand.The NSC did not give a reason.All we know is that they found some technical issues which were not right within the body after their investigations.To put it simply, we still don’t know our left from our right,” she said.Mogane maintains that he wrote to Garoes explaining why the NSC could not release any funding, highlighting in the letter that there should be a congress first.Garoes claimed that the NSC wanted the current executive to look bad and wanted to get rid of them.”They want us out and it is clear from the tactics they are playing.They are the people who are mandated to organise sport in the country, but are failing the association in achieving its objectives by withholding funding,” she said.Netball in Namibia is in a major slump, with no national teams in action on the international stage for at least six years, while the regional structures are not visible and no regional competitions held during the year.Last year, a national team was called to prepare for national duty in a match outside the borders, but their preparations were halted at the last minute, as there was no money to fund their trip Earlier this year, a similar situation arose after the national team players were supposed to host Ghana in an African Nations Cup tie.Their three-week training was brought to an end, with no clear explanation on what happened to their opponents.The two incidents left many players frustrated, as they argue that their efforts to compete for the national team are always in vain.At this stage, the Khomas Region Netball League (KRNL) is the only region in the country with active teams and is expected to start with a season-opening tournament at the end of March.Chairman Isadore Nel says they are eager to start with the matches when the season opens next month, and are not too concerned with the activities of ANNA.”We have lost a lot of interest in the mother body because they don’t want to listen to the regions,” she said.The All Namibia Netball Association (ANNA), according to Garoes, needs funding for netball development in the regions.ANNA is expected to receive at least N$45 000 from the NSC and in turn intends to allocate N$1 500 to each region.She said ANNA wanted to give each region N$1 500, but since no region could afford to pay its affiliation fees, it has decided to deduct N$400 to cater for that.”They are keeping us at ransom.At the moment the regions are idle and we are supposed to have a congress soon, while we are also supposed to put together an under-20 team which has to prepare for the Youth Games in two months’ time,” she said.NSC chief administrator Rusten Mogane says there is no way that ANNA will receive any funding before the congress takes place in April.”They have to go for elections and put in place a new committee before money is made available for any development purpose or national team activities,” he said.Mogane said the decision was based on the findings of the NSC and the Ministry of Sport after an investigation into ANNA’s inactive leadership, under-performing national teams, lack of communication and the general administration of the game in the country.Mogane said ANNA wanted to hold a workshop ahead of the congress to iron out constitutional issues, while they also wanted to elect a new committee to run the body, as the current members are not working as a team.”This is unrealistic in view of the upcoming congress.They cannot have a new committee in place for a few weeks and then go for elections for another one again.It does not make sense.The congress should decide on the new leadership before funds can be released,” he said.”We cannot just dish out money to each and everyone.We are accountable to the Government because in the end, we have to explain to the minister why we have spent the funds on a workshop instead of a congress,” he said.Garoes, whose term of office expires on March 31, said the NSC had never explained its intentions regarding the funding to the association.”They have kept us in the dark and we don’t know where we stand.The NSC did not give a reason.All we know is that they found some technical issues which were not right within the body after their investigations.To put it simply, we still don’t know our left from our right,” she said.Mogane maintains that he wrote to Garoes explaining why the NSC could not release any funding, highlighting in the letter that there should be a congress first.Garoes claimed that the NSC wanted the current executive to look bad and wanted to get rid of them.”They want us out and it is clear from the tactics they are playing.They are the people who are mandated to organise sport in the country, but are failing the association in achieving its objectives by withholding funding,” she said.Netball in Namibia is in a major slump, with no national teams in action on the international stage for at least six years, while the regional structures are not visible and no regional competitions held during the year.Last year, a national team was called to prepare for national duty in a match outside the borders, but their preparations were halted at the last minute, as there was no money to fund their trip Earlier this year, a similar situation arose after the national team players were supposed to host Ghana in an African Nations Cup tie.Their three-week training was brought to an end, with no clear explanation on what happened to their opponents.The two incidents left many players frustrated, as they argue that their efforts to compete for the national team are always in vain.At this stage, the Khomas Region Netball League (KRNL) is the only region in th
e country with active teams and is expected to start with a season-opening tournament at the end of March.Chairman Isadore Nel says they are eager to start with the matches when the season opens next month, and are not too concerned with the activities of ANNA.”We have lost a lot of interest in the mother body because they don’t want to listen to the regions,” she said.