NSC still in charge of athletics

THE Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture has not yet received any official correspondence on the possible suspension of Athletics Namibia from the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), a top official confirmed yesterday.

IAAF Africa representative and president of Athletics South Africa, Leonard Chuene, last week said Namibia could face suspension for at least four years if Government, through the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) fails to reinstate former AN president Alpha Kangueehi with immediate effect. The reinstatement of Kangueehi was supposed to be done last week, but Government feels that with no official correspondence from the IAAF bosses in Monaco, this cannot happen.The Deputy Director of School Sports, Shivute Katamba, told The Namibian Sport yesterday that so far, they have not received any official communication from the IAAF and the position of Government is that the NSC is still in charge.Kangueehi was ousted after a vote of no confidence by some AN affiliates, an issue that led to the intervention of the IAAF through Chuene.Chuene came to Namibia twice in trying to resolve the issue, as it was deemed unconstitutional, while there were also several flaws in the process of instituting a vote of no confidence by some affiliates.In his first meeting, Chuene said that Kangueehi was still in charge and that Government was at fault in placing the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) in charge pending the elections of the body at the end of this month.In his second visit, Chuene went head to head with top Government officials and several members from the regions, but still insisted that he was not happy with the way in which Government and the affiliates had decided to put the NSC temporarily in charge.At the second meeting, Chuene said it was difficult to do his job if Government had already taken a stand and decided what the future would be for the code.Yesterday, NSC chief Rusten Mogane said they were still in charge until the conclusion of the elections, which will be held at Tsumeb on Saturday.”Our position as mandated by the members of Athletics Namibia is that we will be in charge until the congress elects its new leaders at the weekend,” he said.The congress at the weekend will elect a new president, a vice president and also fill the vacant portfolios of secretary general and treasurer.Kangueehi’s term was only scheduled to end next year, but he had been accused of poor management of the sport since last year.The sport has produced no top-quality athletes for the past two years, while most are demoralised by the infighting among administrators.Mogane confirmed that nominations have been made for the executive positions, but did not want to reveal any names.The Namibian Sport established yesterday that current NSC Commissioner Alna Similo would vie for the vice president’s position.Similo, a teacher by profession, earlier said she was not interested in any of the positions in the beleaguered code.The reinstatement of Kangueehi was supposed to be done last week, but Government feels that with no official correspondence from the IAAF bosses in Monaco, this cannot happen.The Deputy Director of School Sports, Shivute Katamba, told The Namibian Sport yesterday that so far, they have not received any official communication from the IAAF and the position of Government is that the NSC is still in charge.Kangueehi was ousted after a vote of no confidence by some AN affiliates, an issue that led to the intervention of the IAAF through Chuene.Chuene came to Namibia twice in trying to resolve the issue, as it was deemed unconstitutional, while there were also several flaws in the process of instituting a vote of no confidence by some affiliates.In his first meeting, Chuene said that Kangueehi was still in charge and that Government was at fault in placing the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) in charge pending the elections of the body at the end of this month.In his second visit, Chuene went head to head with top Government officials and several members from the regions, but still insisted that he was not happy with the way in which Government and the affiliates had decided to put the NSC temporarily in charge.At the second meeting, Chuene said it was difficult to do his job if Government had already taken a stand and decided what the future would be for the code.Yesterday, NSC chief Rusten Mogane said they were still in charge until the conclusion of the elections, which will be held at Tsumeb on Saturday.”Our position as mandated by the members of Athletics Namibia is that we will be in charge until the congress elects its new leaders at the weekend,” he said.The congress at the weekend will elect a new president, a vice president and also fill the vacant portfolios of secretary general and treasurer.Kangueehi’s term was only scheduled to end next year, but he had been accused of poor management of the sport since last year.The sport has produced no top-quality athletes for the past two years, while most are demoralised by the infighting among administrators.Mogane confirmed that nominations have been made for the executive positions, but did not want to reveal any names.The Namibian Sport established yesterday that current NSC Commissioner Alna Similo would vie for the vice president’s position.Similo, a teacher by profession, earlier said she was not interested in any of the positions in the beleaguered code.