Africa-Press – Namibia. RAMBLERS Sport Club on Saturday announced a smart partnership agreement with World Wide Scholarships, with the aim of identifying football talent in Namibia and providing opportunities for further development abroad.
The chairman of Ramblers, Sedrick van Turah said the partnership will play a major role in football development in Namibia. “We have signed a smart partnership agreement, collaborating with World Wide Scholarships for a period of 10 years whereby our youth academy, the Olthaver & List Ramblers Soccer Academy, will be renamed WWS O&L Ramblers Academy, with the view of identifying talent within Namibia and more specifically with a base at Ramblers as a sports club.
“This talent identification and scouting process that WWS is embarking on throughout the continent and not just in Namibia, gives the opportunity to youth to be scouted and to attend trials outside Namibia, either in South Africa or in Italy where WWS collaborates with AC Milan’s technical centre,” he added.
Van Turah said eight first division players have already been identified to go to Italy for further development and to participate in trials in April 2022.
“And then there are also 35 children that have been identified via the scouting process to go to Italy as well,” he said. The president of Ramblers Sport Club, Harald Hecht said it was a historic day for Ramblers.
“History is being made at Ramblers. It’s our biggest ,sponsorship deal ever, linking up with Olthaver & List who are the biggest private employer in Namibia. We are very grateful and proud, but we also realise the special responsibilities that we now have,” he said.
“As a first step we have entered into a 10-year development memorandum of understanding with international soccer academy, World Wide Scholarship based in South Africa, with international strategic partners in Europe and the USA. Through this new partnership, we will be stepping up our soccer academy by establishing a permanent talent scouting and development structure in Namibia,” he added.
“This collaboration will bring about world-class talent identification, assessments and trials, coach education and certification, academy and soccer school training tournaments and youth experiences. And most importantly, global university placement services will now be brought to Namibia,” he said.
HECHT BLASTS THE NFA Hecht said their youth academies were doing great work and expressed his gratitude to the professionally-run MTC Hopsol Youth Football League, but added that their youngsters were deprived of action due to a “serious deadlock within Namibian football”.
“The Brave Gladiators complained last week about not having been paid. This seems to be the norm at the NFA as there is a constant lack of funds and inadequate planning. And if funds are finally released, they are being paid in cash and not customary EFT with a total disregard for any best practise and good governance principles,” he said.
“Needless to say that the NFA is in a complete shambles with a so-called normalisation committee, as introduced by Fifa two years ago also not bringing the desired results. We currently have severe and unacceptable infighting amongst the exco of the NFA and two premier leagues competing against each other, yet no formal domestic league football has been underway in Namibia for at least three years,” he added.
“The question I have to ask the big football bosses of Namibia is, are we creating a future and enhancing the lives of our footballers and in particular our youth?
“Namibia’s football faces a unique conundrum where the problem is known, and the answer is known, yet it seems the problem cannot be solved,” he said.
Hecht said he had a five point rescue plan for Namibian football and in particular, the NFA: “Put all egos aside for the benefit of football in Namibia and admit failure.
“Outsource the full financial function of the NFA to a private sector accounting or legal company handling and disbursing of all funds through trust accounts and in accordance with approved budgets.
“Put aside all self entitlement activities and rather lead by example and adopt a mode of investing into or putting something back into Namibian football, especially for our youth, by creating jobs and reducing poverty levels.
“Accept the fact that losing is part and parcel of football, including potential relegation and do not bend the rules to your advantage. Accept arbitration panels. Referees also make mistakes as they are only human and live with the consequences.
“Adopt an attitude of aequitas as embedded in the Ramblers logo, which means ‘fair play’.
“We should encourage more clubs and less teams, and all Premier League clubs should engage in mandatory youth development activities,” he said.
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