Bid Was A Planned Failure

I AM one of the very disappointed citizens due the Namibian African Nations Cup bid team who went to Egypt, but failed to get the country shortlisted.

One of reported reasons was their inability to respond to the questions put to them. We have spent money that we don’t have.I am a soccer fan.What I have observed about our behaviour is that we tend to make biased political decisions for sports.This is what “destroyed” the Brave Warriors.Comrade ‘who’ is not a sports star but has to be incorporated or consulted for a final say.Look at what happened to the Katutura Soccer Stadium.The naming campaign was between an internationally recognised sportsman, Frankie Fredericks, and a veteran politician, Sam Nujoma.The municipal officials of Windhoek had no option but to name it “Sam Nujoma”, because he is the Founding “Father” and the president of the ruling party.What influence does he have in sports or soccer? Namibia must be suffering from political victimisation! In Egypt, there would honestly be no question about how we “defeated the Boers”, which is a game for politicians.This bidding team must have known that they were going to fail beforehand.Firstly, the team was led by a controversial political figure (Swapo president).Why did the bidding team not consist of sport stars like Frankie Fredericks or Agnes Samaria? Secondly, the team left the bad news at home that “A lot more needs to be done if Namibia wants to host the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six Youth Games successfully and injury free” as published by New Era on Tuesday, May 9 2006.Who betrayed Namibia if it even has bad publicity at home? And they are protesting again to spend more? Will the games be played in the empty stadiums? We need to learn from others’ mistakes.George Weah (a soccer star) saw no difference between soccer and politics in Liberia.”We must play the ball, not the guns”, but he wants a political position – the presidency.We have too much political infighting in this country and this is contaminating every institution, including sports.There is a need for Namibia to view itself in the mirror so that we can make a way out of a political mess! We must not compare ourselves with South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, because he is a statesman, a sports icon in his country.We have to pay their bills again! S Eino NorthWe have spent money that we don’t have.I am a soccer fan.What I have observed about our behaviour is that we tend to make biased political decisions for sports.This is what “destroyed” the Brave Warriors.Comrade ‘who’ is not a sports star but has to be incorporated or consulted for a final say.Look at what happened to the Katutura Soccer Stadium.The naming campaign was between an internationally recognised sportsman, Frankie Fredericks, and a veteran politician, Sam Nujoma.The municipal officials of Windhoek had no option but to name it “Sam Nujoma”, because he is the Founding “Father” and the president of the ruling party.What influence does he have in sports or soccer? Namibia must be suffering from political victimisation! In Egypt, there would honestly be no question about how we “defeated the Boers”, which is a game for politicians.This bidding team must have known that they were going to fail beforehand.Firstly, the team was led by a controversial political figure (Swapo president).Why did the bidding team not consist of sport stars like Frankie Fredericks or Agnes Samaria? Secondly, the team left the bad news at home that “A lot more needs to be done if Namibia wants to host the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six Youth Games successfully and injury free” as published by New Era on Tuesday, May 9 2006.Who betrayed Namibia if it even has bad publicity at home? And they are protesting again to spend more? Will the games be played in the empty stadiums? We need to learn from others’ mistakes.George Weah (a soccer star) saw no difference between soccer and politics in Liberia.”We must play the ball, not the guns”, but he wants a political position – the presidency.We have too much political infighting in this country and this is contaminating every institution, including sports.There is a need for Namibia to view itself in the mirror so that we can make a way out of a political mess! We must not compare ourselves with South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, because he is a statesman, a sports icon in his country.We have to pay their bills again! S Eino North