TSUMEB: The chairperson of the Namibia School Sports Union (NSSU) in the Oshikoto Region, Bonifatius Iiyambo, has expressed concern about the lack of sports facilities in the region. Iiyambo in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday said many of the 228 schools in the region lack facilities like netball and football fields. At the few schools equipped with sports fields, the infrastructure does not meet the required standards, he added.

The chairperson said with the exception of the Tsumeb Sports Stadium, there is a scarcity of adequate sports facilities in the region. Only secondary schools like Nehale Senior Secondary School and Uukule Secondary School have sports facilities, but these are inadequate.

‘When our learners run on those tracks, it is not accurate because they are not proper fields with the right measurements,’ said Iiyambo.

He also said many schools only focus on running as there is no equipment for other sports codes such as shotput, high jump and javelin.

Despite this, he noted a strong inter
est in sports among learners.

‘Our learners love sports and you see it for yourself when there are trials or training,’ said Iiyambo.

‘Let us invest in sport because it unites people and prevents children from getting involved in activities such as drug and alcohol abuse,’ he said.

He made the remarks in Tsumeb during the preparation of the Under-20 Oshikoto regional team for the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup taking place in Gobabis this weekend.

Mbumba Haitengela, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, acknowledged the need for improved sports facilities in Namibia when approached for comment. Haitengela however noted plans to construct sports stadiums in all regional capitals.

‘We are aware of the lack of sports facilities in Namibia and we have decided to construct sports stadiums, including in the Oshikoto and Kunene regions, in the 2024/25 financial year,’ said Haitengela.

He said vocational training centres will be utilised for sports field construction in th
e respective regions by way of a memorandum of understanding with the National Training Authority.

Source:The Namibia Press Agency