NPL sponsorship, what a fat joke KAINO NGHITONGOSo we all sat in desperation to hear the announcement of the new NPL sponsor on Thursday, just to hear the biggest joke ever.
I don''t even know why they called it good news, because three million per season for me is not just a fat joke but an insult to football lovers.
You can''t come out to proudly announce a sponsorship that seems to have been agreed upon at a shebeen because if no contract was signed then what makes your announcement legit?
While so many of us were waiting to hear when the season will kick off, the announcement made has just added stress to the football followers and for me it would have been better if the NPL management had kept what they deem good news to themselves until they get the 24 million and not the joke of nine million.
If no contract was signed then what makes the NPL leadership think that it is wise enough to announce to the public that you have secured a sponsorship? Who was the advisor of such a decision and what makes these leadership think that the nation will jump and celebrate such news?
My fellows, let''s not sit here and lie to the nation, let us not sit here and sell false dreams to the nation. We all know that we have reached desperate times now but let us avoid fuelling the anger in the hearts of those that are heavily affected by the absence of the league.
I sat down yesterday listening to my colleague telling how angry those who packed the hall at Football House were, while laughing at how he told it and how some journalists asked their questions I also took time to go through the strategic plan sent out.
After going through that document I was left to think that somewhere Namibian football lovers are being taken for a joke here. We are in October and only NOW are we receiving a strategic plan. Really? So what were you working on before and why send it out just now?
If you want people to take you seriously then you too have to be serious. The budget plan in that document is like one being presented to a five-year-old child. Come on, guys. A budget should be broken down and not just present figures and expect the nation to say, ja well they really need 24 million?
For me all this is a joke and laughable because I am still in shock as I waited to see a token cheque as a symbol that yes, they have acquired a sponsor, but now you have a sponsorship announcement and you don''t even have a representative of that company there, so how do we take you seriously?
I hope am not just the only one that thinks that we might not see this N$9 million and that such announcement was premature.
We really need to realise that the absence is a serious issue and not something we can sit here and joke about because these affects hundreds of footballers and deserves being handled with care and sensitivity.
As administrators, you have to avoid making decisions such as that of the N$9 million sponsorship announcement that did not even have any proof. Have you not heard of companies having made pledges for example but never accounted for such? These are some of the serious issues we need to look and am not saying the sponsoring company is not going to give the N$9 million but just be very careful and well advised that if you are not yet done with whatever process then don''t announce it.
We have to learn how to contain our excitement just to spare ourselves such embarrassments because at the moment it looks like the leadership wants to rush everything because they want to prove to certain individuals that they are working tirelessly to get a sponsor but forgetting that the road to getting N$21 million is still ahead of you and that has to be embedded in the NPL management''s mind.
I totally think that the way this announcement was made is premature, a joke and laughable one that will probably not excite football lovers.
If it would mean not having a league this season, then let''s do so and continue hunting for a sponsor rather than raising the hopes of players and all the fans that the league will kick off.
It is now evident that we have reached the boiling point as leaders are now making uninformed decisions and I really fear for the future.
kaino@namibiansun.com