Carlos Kambaekwa
30 October 2008
Windhoek — In spite of all sorts of excuses by the National Sports Commission, the mysterious omission of disabled athlete and Namibia's bronze medalist at the Paralympics in Beijing, China, Reginald Benade, remains a bitter pill to swallow for the average sport fanatic.
The 36-year-old multi-talented athlete was Namibia's only medalist from both the Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics in China earlier this year but has been grounded and robbed of a glorious chance to stake a claim for the prestigious Sportsman of the Year Award.
The Chief Administrator of the National Sports Commission, Rusten Mogane, remains unmoved and says Benade's achievement at the Paralympics does not warrant him a place for contention amongst the country's top achievers for the past season.
"We've been reliably informed that his feat is nowhere near selection for a top award as it falls way short of what able-bodied athletes have achieved during the season despite their failure to win medals. It should be clarified that the intensity of the events were worlds apart and we have to take that into consideration," said a defiant Mogane.
This year's awards will be celebrated with a gala night at the posh Safari Hotel south of Windhoek, tomorrow evening at 19h00.
Following the rocky marriage between the National Sports Commission and its longtime financial backers MTC - the commission will have its hands full to put up a sterling event without the assistance and expertise of their partners. But "not really," charges Mogane.
"Obviously, it is very unfortunate that we could not agree on certain things but we are still hopeful to activate our relationship in the not too distant future - in the meantime, the show must on and as far as we are concerned everything is on track," boasted the former Black Africa and South West Africa midfield dynamo.
Wrestling sensation Naatele "Sem" Shilimela marginally missed the boat as his remarkable achievement at the recently concluded Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India was recorded after nominations had already closed.
However, Mogane says the youthful wrestler will be the recipient of a "Special Award" for his silver medal in the 54-kilogram category for boys in the Under-19 age group at the Youth Games, where the Namibian youngsters acquitted themselves well under trying circumstances.
The event will be transmitted live on NBC national television (NBC) and sports enthusiasts from all corners of the country can expect a sport fiesta second to none with a bumper programme having been laid out.
Well-known Johannesburg based and visually impaired motivational speaker Hein Wagner, will be amongst the key guest speakers while the line minister Reverend Willem Konjore will deliver the keynote address.
Several top artists are to put the cherry on top of the cake with live performances with Allen Jonathan a visible figure amongst the main attractions while the ever-present Jay Lo provides background music.
The articulate and usually humorous chairperson of the Commission Stanley "Bra Stan" Simataa will entertain the expected large crowd with tales on the ups and downs of the inner doings of the NSC of the just ended season during his opening and welcoming address.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 New Era. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
