FORMER Namibian President Sam Nujoma yesterday warned sports administrators to refrain from pursuing their own interests in their respective federations.
Nujoma, who is the patron of the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), spoke at the official opening of the Olympic House in Windhoek. He cautioned that sports federations should not become vehicles for realising the personal interests and power aspirations of a few individuals.Nujoma highlighted this against the backdrop of numerous internal squabbles in the various sports organisations, of which the Namibia Football Association (NFA) and Athletics Namibia are the main culprits.”Sport is a national asset and the structures therefore belong to the Namibians and not to individuals or groups of individuals,” he said.The NFA was hit by internal squabbles among the leadership which eventually reached the international football mother body Fifa, while athletics administrators are still fighting their cause to come to power again.”These internal squabbles, amongst others, have proved to be detrimental to the development of sport as well the participation of Namibia at the Olympic Games and other related Games,” Nujoma said.Nujoma, who has been the patron of the NNOC for the past 16 years, said elected executives should ensure that the principles of good governance are promoted and that sport is administered in the interest of the whole nation.Nujoma further said that schools’ sport was crucial in empowering young people towards healthy and active but disciplined lifestyles.”By investing and focusing on the schools and community clubs, we will certainly build a broad base for talent scouting, development and nurturing,” he said.He said another area of concern was the absence of able sports administrators to organise school sports.”I would therefore like to request all stakeholders in the national sport, especially the Ministry of Sport, to ensure that more administrators are trained in order to spearhead the development of sport in all 13 regions of the country,” he said.Nujoma congratulated the NNOC for on acquiring its new premises.”This is without a doubt a befitting symbol and reward to a true sport patriot, Namibian sports ambassadors and all the African sports icons par excellence,” he said.The secretary general of the NNOC, Eliphas Shipanga, said the major function of the body was to co-ordinate major international competitions on behalf of Namibia.Namibia only joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1991 and has set a target of bringing home at least seven medals from major international events such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.Olympic House, situated in Tacoma Street in Suiderhof, was acquired at a cost of N$1,2 million and consists of six offices and a bachelor’s flat.Shipanga said the dream of the NNOC as to grow and expand into a more modern NNOC Village that will address and support objectives as articulated in the IOC Charter, the Sports Act of 2003, the NNOC constitution and Namibia’s Vision 2030.He cautioned that sports federations should not become vehicles for realising the personal interests and power aspirations of a few individuals.Nujoma highlighted this against the backdrop of numerous internal squabbles in the various sports organisations, of which the Namibia Football Association (NFA) and Athletics Namibia are the main culprits.”Sport is a national asset and the structures therefore belong to the Namibians and not to individuals or groups of individuals,” he said.The NFA was hit by internal squabbles among the leadership which eventually reached the international football mother body Fifa, while athletics administrators are still fighting their cause to come to power again.”These internal squabbles, amongst others, have proved to be detrimental to the development of sport as well the participation of Namibia at the Olympic Games and other related Games,” Nujoma said.Nujoma, who has been the patron of the NNOC for the past 16 years, said elected executives should ensure that the principles of good governance are promoted and that sport is administered in the interest of the whole nation.Nujoma further said that schools’ sport was crucial in empowering young people towards healthy and active but disciplined lifestyles.”By investing and focusing on the schools and community clubs, we will certainly build a broad base for talent scouting, development and nurturing,” he said.He said another area of concern was the absence of able sports administrators to organise school sports.”I would therefore like to request all stakeholders in the national sport, especially the Ministry of Sport, to ensure that more administrators are trained in order to spearhead the development of sport in all 13 regions of the country,” he said.Nujoma congratulated the NNOC for on acquiring its new premises.”This is without a doubt a befitting symbol and reward to a true sport patriot, Namibian sports ambassadors and all the African sports icons par excellence,” he said.The secretary general of the NNOC, Eliphas Shipanga, said the major function of the body was to co-ordinate major international competitions on behalf of Namibia.Namibia only joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1991 and has set a target of bringing home at least seven medals from major international events such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.Olympic House, situated in Tacoma Street in Suiderhof, was acquired at a cost of N$1,2 million and consists of six offices and a bachelor’s flat.Shipanga said the dream of the NNOC as to grow and expand into a more modern NNOC Village that will address and support objectives as articulated in the IOC Charter, the Sports Act of 2003, the NNOC constitution and Namibia’s Vision 2030.
