Letter from Jamaica

After four years of hibernation, the blame game starts again After more then 25 years of independence and nearly more than 12 years after the retirement of Namibian track icon Frank Fredericks, the nation still has to be grateful to this young man from Katutura.

Raised by a single mother, he came from humble beginnings and the dusty streets of Katutura to become without doubt the most famous Namibian athlete worldwide.

I am proud to have been with Frank at major competitions, trained with him and developed a brotherhood beyond sport. However, after so many years the nation is still waiting for the next star(s) that can take on and beat the best – remember when Frank bravely took on Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson and Maurice Green he represented Namibia, Africa and the entire developing world. How can I ever forget the look of admiration that the legendary Usain Bolt, who had just broken the 100m, 200m and 4x100m in Berlin 2009 had in his eyes when he shook Frank’s hand. 

Then came the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a young girl from Walvis Bay, Johanna Benson rose and showed Namibia what they had been missing.

After winning gold and silver she made the headlines in all the newspapers, and the euphoria at the Hosea Kutako International Airport as thousands of Namibians from all walks of life stormed to welcome home a new hero, was something to behold. From Robby Savage to cabinet ministers, many people had probably never watched the Paralympic Games before, but it was good to be Namibian again like after the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games when Frank announced the arrival of a new nation. 

Fast forward to 2016, most administrators having been fast asleep seemingly suddenly realised, wow its Olympics again and looked up to the heavens in search for help asking ‘God, who will qualify or even win a medal?’ Believe me, it’s nice to stand and be seen next to Johanna Benson or Frank Fredericks and look as if we have worked hard or supported them.

Truth be told, not much has been done since 2012 or since 1990. How much have we truly supported Frank? We were spoiled by Brigham Young University, (Frank’s university in the USA), by Rossing and Mizuno with Frank, while Paralympics Namibia and Johanna’s family gave the most support for her.

How much was invested in Beata Naigambo, Gaby Ahrens and in cycling? Since the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne everyone knows Beata has had a medical condition, but who has ever gone and seen to it that the Olympian receives the best medical care? Gaby and Beata cannot qualify in Namibia, but who cares how they get there?

The year 2009 saw the birth of the Athletics Development Programme of the Directorate of Sport which was my brainchild with my former athlete and Olympian, Agnes Samaria. Through this programme athletes like Globine Mayova and Tjipekapora Herunga became stars and they dominated athletics tracks in South Africa.

Tjipe qualified for the 2012 Olympic where she was Namibia’s only track athlete and reached the semi-finals in the 400m. After Frank and Agnes, she is the best track athlete that Namibia has now, apart from the road runners and Paralympians. 

At the Paralympic World Championships in Lyon, France 2013 Johannes Nambala, Ananias Shikongo and Johanna Benson collected five medals and Johnny became a world champion in 400m.

Last year at the Paralympic World Championships in Doha the same athletes collected four medals with Johnny this time winning gold in the 200m. At the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, Namibia’s Paralympic team ended top of the medal table with seven medals –  5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze – while the able-bodied athletes came 19th with four medals.

Are our athletes really that bad? Never in the history of athletics in Namibia has any team collected so many medals let alone top the medals table.

2016 has arrived and administrators have already started to panic and have started blaming anybody or anything. They have even begun setting standards that do not exist or act as if Namibia is a dominant force in any sport like that of the USA or Jamaica.

The All Africa Games is our African Olympics which has 22 codes and only the Commonwealth Games with 17 codes and Olympic Games with 28 codes are higher for any Namibian.

Most Namibian sport codes have failed due to poor planning and they just wish for success. There is a saying that goes “failing to plan is planning to fail” (Alan Lakein) and “A goal without a plan is just a wish” (author unknown). 

Our athletes need and deserve the best support, recognising that this is a process and that the three P’s are needed – Patience, Planning and Preparation.

Many have I will assume in ignorance, said that athletes for example Tjipe have not qualified for the Olympics. I ask which top nation has already chosen its Olympic team? The Jamaican National Senior Trials are from 30 June to 3 July in Kingston, while the United States trials are from 1 to 10 July in Eugene. However in Namibia people want to rush and have performance standards met in February. Peaking in athletics now is a recipe for disaster.

As such I implore our administrators to sit back, rather study and understand or the least ask experts in the field before making unfounded statements. The Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) and its members should wake up and have a 4, 8 and 12 year plan. 

I ask finally which Olympic solidarity scholarships have ever been given that led to a medal, semi-finalist at the Olympics or All Africa Games medal? Athletes need support not only when they qualify or win, but also when they are hungry, injured and lonely. More important “Poor planning on your part doesn’t create an emergency on my part.’ Nelson Mandela said “It always seems impossible until it’d done,’

Namibia will be in Rio, mark my words “Komesho!’

Letu Hamhola