NNOC does not target individuals

While the dust might not have settled well for Rio qualification, the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) secretary-general, Joan Smit says the house has no agenda of keeping out some athletes.
Speaking to Sport Wrap recently, Smit explained that it is their wish to have as many athletes taking part in the Olympic Games this year and never to exclude anyone.
She however said, with the policies set in place by international federations it has been impossible for some of the athletes to go to the world showpiece.
She noted that apart from the qualification criteria set by the international federation together with the international Olympic committee, countries also have additional qualification criteria and Namibia is no exception to that.
“Our additional qualification criteria in the case of athletics and swimming states that athletes will qualify in two events between September 2015 and June 2016 and athletics in this case excludes marathons,” she said, adding that the criteria were sent and discussed with the federations two years ago and the same criteria were shared with them again last year February, because the Rio qualifications started in February last year.
Recently the issue of the qualification of Jamaican-based sprinter Tjipekapora (Tjipee) Herunga attracted much attention about whether she had qualified or not.
Smit indicated that the issue of qualification is not only about Tjipee as there are other athletes who were turned down.
“What is interesting is all the hype is all around this one athlete, but we have Daniela Lindemeier who got three bronze medals at the All Africa Games last year and who was nominated by the International Swimming Federation for a wild card to go to Rio, but the criteria of the Olympic committee is that we do not take wild cards.
“The federations know that we do not accept wild cards because it is elite athletes participating and if an athlete does not even meet the qualification time, then you must imagine sending an athlete with a wild card to go and participate against the world’s best, psychologically you do more harm to the athlete. I would be best to invest more in the athlete and get the athlete to qualify for the games,” she said.
She added that the house was also faced with an unfortunate situation of Lavinia Haitope who is the fourth marathon athlete who made the qualification for Rio but because the IAAF only allows three female athletes in the marathon games, Haitope has to stay. “So this qualification tune is just not about Tjipee, there are other athletes that were told they have not qualified. NNOC has absolutely nothing against the poor athlete - on the contrary we love her. There is nothing about the athlete, it is all about the policies,” she said.

Qualification
After being sent to a qualification, athletes and their coaches could hardly contain their excitement and make it public that who has qualified.
However, Smit explained that although it is the athlete or the coach’s right to do so, NNOC only announces those who have qualified when an official confirmation is sent to them by that sports international body.
“We always make sure we wait for a confirmation from the international federation and only after that will we pronounce ourselves on who has qualified for Rio,” she said.
She indicated that sport codes are aware of the Rio qualification events, and NNOC has information from IAAF that the All Africa Games were not Rio qualifiers.
“IAAF said it is up to us to decide whether we would like to include Tjipee in the list of the qualified athletes and the African athletics body wrote to us and said they were not Rio qualifiers and that is why we said she should go and qualify again, having until 12 July,” she noted.
Meanwhile, she said although no sprinter has qualified yet, they still have until July to qualify.
“We have athletes on the Olympic solidarity scholarship for athletics and I know they are not going to make it but I do not have the right to terminate the scholarship or to take them off from the accreditations. Therefore they will remain until the qualifications of athletics is done on 12 July,” she said, adding that there are 21 athletes on the list of accreditation.

Funding
Smit shed light on the preparation fund that the qualified athletes have received from the NNOC.
“The amount of money depended on when the athlete qualified and for Beata Naigambo and Gaby Ahrens who qualified last year, they got their N$250 000, and those that qualified this year between March and April only received N$100 000,” she said.
NNOC received its preparation budget of N$2.8 million from the sport ministry, which is being used for athletes’ preparation, accommodation and flight tickets.

Jamaica “Vision 2016”
With the “Vision 2016” programme in place that saw Namibian athletes sent to Jamaica in 2013, as part of a long-term training programme aimed at improving Namibia’s chances of winning medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Smit also shared her views on the programme, which has not yet produced an athlete for Rio 2016 as planned.
“What is sad is that, the stakeholders were not consulted when the programme was brought together but I think the idea of Jamaica was brilliant because this is what the country needs.
“Vision 2016 is the name of the programme and not one of them went to the Commonwealth Games two years ago, and out of all those athletes, it seems like Tjipee is the only athlete that really makes progress so there is something seriously wrong with it,” she said.
Smit added that while in Botswana last year and discussing how many athletes qualified for Rio in their countries, Olympic committees in that country revealed to her that they had athletes in Jamaica but had brought them back home.
“They said to me that they have two short-distance runners who have qualified and the two athletes were in Jamaica and when they realised they are not doing what they were expected to do there, the athletes were brought back home, trained under the local coach here and qualified under the local coach,” she said.
She indicated that if the same amount of money invested in the Vision 2016 programme could also be invested in talent identification, then Namibia can look at making progress at the 2020 and 2024 Games.
“If we put the resources that we have to the right use, then this small nation can prosper and if we look at the sports where the bigger countries do not feature, then you will see a different story.
“In athletics, let us concentrate on field events but also focus on smaller sports where we know we can make a difference,” she suggested.

KAINO NGHITONGO