Sponsors want out, due to lack of women football league

BUSCHSCHULE CC and Ramblers Sport Club have decided to reduce or ultimately pull-out from backing their respective women football sides financially, citing no formal league structures in place since independence.

The two clubs (Civics and Ramblers) which fall under the wings of the two organisations, have only been active in tournaments around the country for years now, in the absence of an organised league structure. Buschschule’s Sport Coordinator, Ole Derra told The Namibian Sport yesterday that their organisation will be forced not to sustain the Civics women team, unless the football authorities introduce a women football league.He said Buschschule has spent thousands of dollars on the transport, accommodation and other expenses of the side, but no longer sees it viable.”We first want the Namibia Football Association (NFA) to come up with a league in which our girls can play competitive football.It serves no purpose to put money into a team that is only playing in tournaments each year.Even these tournaments are not held regularly,” he said.Buschschule, a non governmental organisation which receives its funding from Germany, suspended it’s support to the team last weekend, when it took part in a tournament held at Rehoboth.Civics beat Queens 4-0 in the final of the Rehoboth competition and only received N$1 000 and gold medals as winners, while their expenses totalled approximately N$3 000, a team member said.Bucschschule paid for their transport and meals.Current active women football clubs are Civics (Windhoek), Ramblers (Windhoek), Queens (Rehoboth), City Girls (Windhoek), Rainbow Warriors (Windhoek) and Karas Region.Meanwhile, Ramblers Sport Club reduced its annual sponsorship of N$32 000 to their women football side to N$15 000 this year, also putting the blame on no competitive league for the women.Buschschule and Civic’s Administrative Secretary, Tim Isaacs, said their assistance to the team will be considered in the strongest terms if football bosses calls into life a league structure.He said Buschschule has received tremendous interest from potential women footballers, but they could not be accommodated as Civics already has an overflow of players at the club.”It is not a good thing when you turn people away who are eager to do something,” he said.He said the interest is growing in the game and the introduction of a league will bring to fore more players and more clubs will be established,” he said.NFA Executive member Juliene Garises argues that the way forward for women football should come be the task of the various regions.”Regional chairmen should assist in putting up women football structures to eventually have clubs that play in an organised league.With this, we will be able to monitor the progress of clubs and its players for national purposes,” she said.She said the regional chairmen have so far failed to get that going since they promised to do it at last year’s congress at Keetmanshoop.Garises said the NFA is anticipating to have women football leagues firmly established on regional level first.”We will take up the issue at the next Ordinary Congress of the NFA in June,” she said.Gladiators captain Jacky Shipanga, told The Namibian Sport that women football is not consistent in the country and ‘has grown little since independence if not at all.’ She said the non-existence of a league was the biggest contributor to the loses of the national team.”The football authorities should give women football better treatment in the country, before we can become competitive internationally,” she said.Buschschule’s Sport Coordinator, Ole Derra told The Namibian Sport yesterday that their organisation will be forced not to sustain the Civics women team, unless the football authorities introduce a women football league.He said Buschschule has spent thousands of dollars on the transport, accommodation and other expenses of the side, but no longer sees it viable.”We first want the Namibia Football Association (NFA) to come up with a league in which our girls can play competitive football.It serves no purpose to put money into a team that is only playing in tournaments each year.Even these tournaments are not held regularly,” he said.Buschschule, a non governmental organisation which receives its funding from Germany, suspended it’s support to the team last weekend, when it took part in a tournament held at Rehoboth.Civics beat Queens 4-0 in the final of the Rehoboth competition and only received N$1 000 and gold medals as winners, while their expenses totalled approximately N$3 000, a team member said.Bucschschule paid for their transport and meals.Current active women football clubs are Civics (Windhoek), Ramblers (Windhoek), Queens (Rehoboth), City Girls (Windhoek), Rainbow Warriors (Windhoek) and Karas Region.Meanwhile, Ramblers Sport Club reduced its annual sponsorship of N$32 000 to their women football side to N$15 000 this year, also putting the blame on no competitive league for the women.Buschschule and Civic’s Administrative Secretary, Tim Isaacs, said their assistance to the team will be considered in the strongest terms if football bosses calls into life a league structure.He said Buschschule has received tremendous interest from potential women footballers, but they could not be accommodated as Civics already has an overflow of players at the club.”It is not a good thing when you turn people away who are eager to do something,” he said.He said the interest is growing in the game and the introduction of a league will bring to fore more players and more clubs will be established,” he said.NFA Executive member Juliene Garises argues that the way forward for women football should come be the task of the various regions.”Regional chairmen should assist in putting up women football structures to eventually have clubs that play in an organised league.With this, we will be able to monitor the progress of clubs and its players for national purposes,” she said.She said the regional chairmen have so far failed to get that going since they promised to do it at last year’s congress at Keetmanshoop.Garises said the NFA is anticipating to have women football leagues firmly established on regional level first.”We will take up the issue at the next Ordinary Congress of the NFA in June,” she said.Gladiators captain Jacky Shipanga, told The Namibian Sport that women football is not consistent in the country and ‘has grown little since independence if not at all.’ She said the non-existence of a league was the biggest contributor to the loses of the national team.”The football authorities should give women football better treatment in the country, before we can become competitive internationally,” she said.