Tjongarero sympathises with football crisis The deputy minister of sport, Agnes Tjongarero, has expressed dismay at the situation faced by the football fraternity.In an interview with Namibian Sun Tjongarero said the situation faced by football is a bad one, but also warned against having a single sponsor.
The deputy minister said she had requested a breakfast meeting last year so that she could speak to the private sector but that has not happened.
“My idea when I asked people to organise a breakfast meeting was to talk to the private sector to pump in money but that did not happen and that is the unfortunate part because then in 2015, NPL was in a very good position to negotiate.
“Now they are not in any position to negotiate with anybody because you are lying down there and anybody can say I will give you N$50 and you just grab because now you are in a desperate situation and that is the unfortunate part,” she said.
She further indicated that even if someone wants to go negotiate, “we are not at an equal footing with whomever and it is very bad for us”.
Tjongarero said it is time to do away with having a single sponsor.
“I do not know if we have to change the culture because I don''t know how to change that, but change the sport culture in Namibia because you get a sponsor now then you are satisfied.
“In other countries, even in South Africa, one event would have so many sponsors but for us when you get one then you think you are satisfied, come on… We must start looking for more sponsors; get as many as you can while you are in a good position.
“Now MTC was the only one there for the premier league and because of what has happened there we are, nobody else, why? We have to change that culture of just having one sponsor and go out and look for as many as you can,” she stressed.
KAINO NGHITONGO