Following the successful hosting of the Basketball Indaba in October 2009, the Namibia Basketball Federation is continuing in its efforts to resuscitate basketball as a national sport.
Among the efforts required to clean up basketball, the Indaba resolved that new leadership structures be elected in all thirteen regions. This resolution was also in line with the mandate given by the Namibia Sports commission to the NBF’s interim committee, to elect a “new leadership in the entire 13 regions.”
The election of the new leadership structures was conducted in line with the draft constitution that was facilitated and concluded by the Interim Committee, under the leadership of its interim chairperson, Ndeulipula Hamutumwa.
This process saw a new committee being elected to run the Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) on 10 November 2009. The committee is made up of Isak Nahum as President, Hans Hamukoto as Deputy President, Nande Kayala as Secretary General, Ndapandula Haufiku as Treasurer, and Mao Mutombo as development officer.
On Saturday, November 21, the Interim Committee also facilitated the formation of the Oshana Basketball Association (OBA), where a new leadership committee was elected. The following are the new leadership of OBA: Hofni Kapolo as President, Beatha Nathanael as Deputy President, Irja Gibeon as Secretary General, Mario Serto as Treasurer and Pondo Nailenge as Development Officer.
Promising numbers of women have shown interest in the basketball administration in both regions, and the fact that they have scooped senior leadership positions is a starting point to breaking the long tradition of regional committees being largely dominated by males.
The first initiative of OBA is to hold a basketball summer youth camp with German basketball expert Frank Albin to gauge the interest and the standard of basketball in the Oshana region in December.
The next elections are scheduled for the Erongo, Oshikoto and Okavango Regions during the course of the next three weeks.