• By Michael Uugwanga

It has been nearly four months since the government announced that it has allocated an amount of N$50 million for sport leagues across the country, but to this day, no money   has been released.

 
Although the injection will only benefit sport leagues that do not have sponsorship, it is still not clear as to which specific sport codes will receive the assistance. The money will be channeled through the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC).
The commission’s administrator, Freddy Mwiya maintained that the money did not reach his office as of yet and just like other sports management bodies, the commission has its eyes fixed on government.

 
It is well documented that the country’s sport has over the years struggled to get finances from government, private sector and good Samaritans, despite athletes and teams performing well during major competitions.
 

Speaking to Confidente this week, the executive director in the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Erastus Haitengela, explained that the ministry recently engaged sports federations for their input on the funds. “The Ministry is currently unable to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding formula, as the responsible directorate is still in the process of finalizing a concept note to guide the distribution of the funds,” said Haitengela.

“The directorate received the consolidated feedback from the NSC during the first week of June. Subsequently, from 07 to 09 June, the directorate held an unpacking session, during which this matter was deliberated. A draft policy is currently being developed and will be submitted to management for consideration in due course.”
It is against this background that the funds will be for both men and women in sports, although it is not clear how much each sport league will be allocated. 

As it stands, majority, if not 99 percent of sport leagues have little or no sponsorship funding due to lack of interest from the corporate sector to invest. “The funds are intended to support both men and women sports. We will not support any practice that promotes one sex over the other. Federations are expected to utilise the funds in a manner that ensures fair and inclusive development opportunities for all athletes, regardless of gender.”

He added: “It is premature at this stage to specify how much each sport code will receive. The funds are intended to provide financial support and build the capacity of sport codes to enable them to develop sporting excellence. The exact allocation of the amounts will be communicated as soon as the funding formula policy is completed.”