NFA given N$8 million to ponder

THE Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) aims to pump in N$8 million over a period of five years into the domestic game, The Namibian Sport established yesterday.

The five-year contract between the NFC, which consists of Mobile Telecommunication Limited (MTC), Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) and First National Bank, ends at the end of this month. The three companies have been the sole sponsors of football at the grassroots, league and national levels.Sources yesterday confirmed that the NFC had submitted its proposals to the Namibia Football Association to consider, and a response was expected soon.The NFA plans to invest N$8 million in domestic football until 2010, an increase of just over N$3 million compared to their previous sponsorship deal of about N$5 million signed in 2001.At the moment, NBL controls 50 per cent of the sponsorship deal, with FNB and MTC having 25 per cent each.NFC member Amos Shiyuka, who represents MTC, confirmed that an offer had been made to the NFA.”We are almost there.We offered them a deal for the next five years and key issues that we are looking at are the development of the game at grassroots level, and increased sponsorships for the leagues and cup competitions.We basically want a total revamp of Namibian football,” he said.NBL’s Karolien Guriras, who also serves on the consortium, said the NFA needed to respond to the offer soon.”The NFA now needs to either accept it or reject it.We did not stipulate a certain time for them to come back, but that needs to happen soon,” she said.The current deal with the NFA ends at the end of June.If the NFA accepts the deal, the NFC would have exclusive sponsorship and advertisement rights.If the deal falls through, companies such as Castle Brewing Namibia, who are anxiously waiting to get their hands on the sponsorship, will stand a chance to bid for it.The managing director of Castle Brewing Namibia, Cobus Bruwer, indicated earlier this year that they were willing to become partners with the NFA, provided that the bid was opened to other potential sponsors.The NFC’s new offer to the NFA states that MTC would have a 60 per cent share, with FNB and NBL having 20 percent each.MTC has gradually taken over as the biggest sponsor of local sport over the past few years, an area formerly dominated by NBL.Guriras indicated that the beer giant was busy with cost-cutting efforts and decreasing sport sponsorships was one of their options.The image of the consortium in their efforts to have well-funded football activities has been dented by the inability of football administrators to run the game on business principles.On several occasions, money due to be paid to teams after cup competitions were not given in full, while premiership teams complained of insufficient start-up capital.Referees have also complained about getting paid very little for officiating at matches, while the development of football at the lower level has not been prospering as anticipated.MTC, currently celebrating its tenth anniversary, also sponsors cricket on a large scale.It has also invested thousands of dollars in Namibia’s elite athletes such as 800-metre runner Agnes Samaria, pro golfer Joe Nawanga and tennis star Jurgens Strydom.The three companies have been the sole sponsors of football at the grassroots, league and national levels.Sources yesterday confirmed that the NFC had submitted its proposals to the Namibia Football Association to consider, and a response was expected soon.The NFA plans to invest N$8 million in domestic football until 2010, an increase of just over N$3 million compared to their previous sponsorship deal of about N$5 million signed in 2001.At the moment, NBL controls 50 per cent of the sponsorship deal, with FNB and MTC having 25 per cent each.NFC member Amos Shiyuka, who represents MTC, confirmed that an offer had been made to the NFA.”We are almost there.We offered them a deal for the next five years and key issues that we are looking at are the development of the game at grassroots level, and increased sponsorships for the leagues and cup competitions.We basically want a total revamp of Namibian football,” he said.NBL’s Karolien Guriras, who also serves on the consortium, said the NFA needed to respond to the offer soon.”The NFA now needs to either accept it or reject it.We did not stipulate a certain time for them to come back, but that needs to happen soon,” she said.The current deal with the NFA ends at the end of June.If the NFA accepts the deal, the NFC would have exclusive sponsorship and advertisement rights.If the deal falls through, companies such as Castle Brewing Namibia, who are anxiously waiting to get their hands on the sponsorship, will stand a chance to bid for it.The managing director of Castle Brewing Namibia, Cobus Bruwer, indicated earlier this year that they were willing to become partners with the NFA, provided that the bid was opened to other potential sponsors.The NFC’s new offer to the NFA states that MTC would have a 60 per cent share, with FNB and NBL having 20 percent each.MTC has gradually taken over as the biggest sponsor of local sport over the past few years, an area formerly dominated by NBL.Guriras indicated that the beer giant was busy with cost-cutting efforts and decreasing sport sponsorships was one of their options.The image of the consortium in their efforts to have well-funded football activities has been dented by the inability of football administrators to run the game on business principles.On several occasions, money due to be paid to teams after cup competitions were not given in full, while premiership teams complained of insufficient start-up capital.Referees have also complained about getting paid very little for officiating at matches, while the development of football at the lower level has not been prospering as anticipated.MTC, currently celebrating its tenth anniversary, also sponsors cricket on a large scale.It has also invested thousands of dollars in Namibia’s elite athletes such as 800-metre runner Agnes Samaria, pro golfer Joe Nawanga and tennis star Jurgens Strydom.